Keeper of the Gladers
by ArchimedesAckermann
Summary: The End is near. Two more after this one, and it's the survival of the fittest. Only the strongest can survive in this apocalyptic world. But what is her role in this game? Her magic is something very sought after; it makes her valuable to WICKED. Very valuable, but whose side is she truly on? Or is there a third contender in the race for the survival of humans? - Movie version
1. Part One: Chapter 1

**Hello, this is the new version of Keeper of the Grievers, and I hope you like this. Lilith is very different, and actually a lot of things are different...**

 **Also, there is a Minho x Thomas version on WattPad, and if you want to read that one, search Keeper of the Gladers on WattPad, and my username is Euclid161. Wow, that was one long run on sentence... lol :)**

 **I hope you like it, and please review! Praise is welcome of course :), and any constructive criticism! Thank you all, and have a good night/day.**

Eyes that glowed like red fire snapped open, and the girl gasped, sitting up straight. She looked around frantically, staring at the large stone walls that seemed to loom threateningly over her. "Where am I?" she breathed out, eyes darting around in panic.

Silence answered her.

She breathed in shallow pants, each breath coming faster and faster. Slowly standing up, she looked around in terror, whipping her head around, before realizing that the platform she was standing on was elevated. A long walkway lead to the platform, but on either side was a huge drop into a black abyss. She stilled, but could not calm her racing heart. "Where am I?!" she shrieked, fear overtaking her. "Is anyone here? ANYONE?"

As her vision turned hazy from fear and terror, the space around her seemed to warp and distort.. A bright white aura surrounded her, but before the pressure building inside her could explode, someone showed up.

Well, more like some _thing_.

The girl stared at the creature, freezing in fear. "W-what are you?"

The creature let out a whirring sound, and three clicks. It stared right back at her, still and unmoving.

Hoping that the creature's stillness was a good omen, the girl straightened up and backed away slowly.

It was a wrong move. The creature burst into action, lunging towards her with its tail darting forward. She screamed, thrusting her hands out instinctively. Time seemed to slow down, the creature's movements becoming slower and slower. And finally, the creature stopped moving, frozen in time.

The girl blinked, shocked at what had happened. "What just happened?" she breathed aloud, staring at her hands. However, she was not one for forgoing opportunities, so she darted around the creature and towards what she presumed was an exit.

As soon as she slipped through the gates, she heard the creature begin to move again. Swallowing the fear down as much as she could, she ran blindly through the corridors. "This thing is like maze! Where is the exit?" she panted angrily as she turned around another corner.

Suddenly, she slammed into something. Or someone. She fell back, winded from the blow.

"What the shuck?" an unfamiliar, but undeniably male voice demanded with disbelief.

The girl looked up, blinking. A tall, muscular, Asian boy loomed in front of her, eyes narrowed with suspicion. She opened her mouth, "Um, who are you?"

"I should be asking you that!" the boy said, hands on his hips as he surveyed her. "Who are you? Where did you come from?" He knelt down, "Who sent you here? Why are you in the Maze? How come you're a girl? Why-"

The girl held up a hand, feeling slightly overwhelmed. She looked at him timidly, "Um, sorry, but I don't know either. I woke up over there somewhere, on a walkway that was surrounded by an abyss. Then there was this creature with this tail-"

"That had pincers, and walked on metal legs?" the boy said, raising an eyebrow. She nodded, and he frowned, standing up, "Those creatures are called Grievers. You saw one and you're still alive? What did you do with it?"

She was uncertain if she could trust this boy, so she omitted the part about freezing the Griever, "It wasn't on the side that led to the exit. Well, I think it was the exit, since it led to this maze. So I ran." She hastily stood up, looking back with fear, "Actually, I think it's still chasing me. We should probably get out of here." As if on cue, they heard the whirring of the Griever.

The boy swore, "Come on then, shuckface! We don't have time to waste. You better explain everything when we get back."

"Go where? And I already explained everything!" the girl exclaimed, running after the boy.

"Just follow me!" the boy shouted back. With no other choice, the girl followed the boy, hoping that wherever they were going, she would finally get the answers she seeked.

* * *

"Minho, you're back early!" one of the two boys who stood at each side of the gateway called out, smiling in greeting. His smile dropped when he caught sight of the other person with Minho, "Minho, who's that? I thought after Ben you didn't have a Running partner." Squinting, the boy gasped, "Minho, is that-"

"Yeah, yeah, slim it, shuckface. I know she's a girl," Minho said huffily, panting slightly. He slowed his pace when they reached the Gates, "Get Alby and Newt. Now."

The boy at the Gates nodded hastily, and ran off. The other peered at said girl, gaze awestruck and curious, "Minho, so does this mean you found her in the Maze?"

"Yeah," Minho said, looking at the girl who was staring at the Glade in wonder. "Hey, shuckface, what's your name?"

"Hm?" the girl glanced at him, before turning to gaze at the Glade. "Oh, my name? I… don't remember." The wonder slipped off her face, and she stared at Minho, "I don't remember! Is that normal? I can't remember anything about myself!"

"Yeah, it's normal," the boy at the Gates reassured her. "But where the shuck did you come from?"

"Let's wait till Newt and Alby get here," Minho said, cutting in smoothly. He looked at the girl with apprehension, "They'll want to hear this."

"Who are Newt and Alby?" the girl wondered softly. "Are they the leaders of this place?"

Minho nodded, "They are."

"Are there any other girls in this place? There should be right?" she asked, looking at the two boys. When they just looked at her, she groaned, "So I'm the _only_ girl?"

"Yes, you are," a voice with a heavy British accent answered her question. She turned around, to see a tall dark skinned boy walking alongside a pale, blond boy who she assumed was the one of British descent.

The dark skinned boy looked at Minho sternly, "Minho, explain what happened."

"I was just Running like always, and then when I turned this corner, she was there too, so we collided. She said that she woke up in this strange place that had an abyss and the exit led to the Maze," Minho recalled. "And apparently there was a Griever there, and it was chasing her." He looked at her appraisingly, "She's not a bad runner. Was able to keep up the whole time."

Alby pursed his lips, and turned to the girl, "What do you remember about that place you woke up in? Was there more than just one exit?"

"Yeah, I think so," the girl said, frowning as she tried to remember if there was more than one exit. "But the Griever was in front of it, so I didn't check it out."

Alby exchanged looks with Newt, "Minho, next time you go Running, make sure to check that place out. You know what sector it's in?"

"Yeah," Minho nodded in the affirmative, "Sector 4."

"But be careful. Don't get stung by a Griever," Alby warned him. He turned back to the girl, still suspicious, "Do you have any idea why you were in that place?"

The girl shook her head, "Sorry, but I hoped you guys would know." Looking out at the Glade again, she asked, "What is this place?"

"This is the Glade, and outside of the Glade is the Maze," Alby answered, but didn't elaborate. "Everything will be explained during the tour."

The girl nodded, "Okay. When is the tour?"

"Tomorrow, since Newt and I are busy at the moment," the dark skinned leader said.

Minho looked up, "I could show her around, if you two are busy." He slung an arm around the girl, "Show the she-bean around."

"She-bean?" said girl repeated, puzzled. "Huh?"

"You're the Greenie. Usually we call them a greenbean, but you're a girl, so you're the she-bean," Minho explained, grinning at her disgruntled expression. "Okay, let's get going. Newt, Alby, see you two shucks later."

As they walked through the large green expanse of the Glade, the boys that caught sight of her stopped what they were doing, gawking at the pair.

"Minho, is that a girl?"

"I didn't see her come up in the Box!"

"How'd you find her?"

"Ooh, she's a looker. I call dibs on her!"

At that comment, the girl stiffened, and smiled at the boy who said it, voice mockingly apologetic, "Sorry, but you're not good enough for me."

The boy turned red, and the others laughed, eyeing the new Glader with interest. Minho held out his hand, "Alright, alright, get back to work, you shuckfaces. Nothing interesting here." He glanced at her, smirking, "Not as timid as you seem, huh?"

"I just don't like being objectified and seen as a trophy or something," she muttered angrily. "Shucking pisses me off."

Minho raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised at her temperament, and intrigued. He pointed to the medium sized, slightly beat up building, "This is the Homestead, where all of us Gladers sleep. Well, not all of them, since there's not enough space, so most of them sleep outside."

"Where will I be sleeping?" the girl asked him timidly, reverting back to the soft spoken, shy girl.

Minho stared at her for a second, deciding that she was bipolar. "You'll probably end up either getting your own room if two of the Keepers room together, or you'll share a room with someone." She fidgeted for a few moments, before Minho sighed, "If you want to say something, just spit it out."

"Well, um," she stammered, eyes darting all over the place like a cornered rabbit, "if I had to share a room with someone, c-can I share with you?"

Minho blinked, surprised yet again. He smirked, "You know, if you wanted- Oof!" She rammed her fist into his stomach, staring at him blankly. "Hey, what was that for?" he choked out, hugging his stomach.

"I told you I don't like sexist comments," she reminded him.

He held up his hands in surrender, "Ok, ok. Of course you can share with me, and of course I'm not going to make any more sexist comments. But shuck, you sure pack a hell of a punch, especially for a girl."

She stared at him, and then turned back to the Homestead, "Now, you're just doing it to annoy me."

Minho smiled when he heard the amusement in her voice, "Come on, let's go to the Gardens. It's pretty self explanatory, but this is where the Track-hoes work."

"I hate gardening," the girl said absentmindedly.

Minho laughed, "I guess that means trying out as a Track-hoe won't work for you." He waved to a blond boy who was working in the Gardens, "That's Zart, the Keeper of the Track-hoes."

The girl waved to the boy as well, catching his attention. The boy straightened up, "Minho, that's a-"

"Yes," Minho said, rolling his eyes. "It's a girl. Everyone's been asking me that. It's not like you guys haven't seen a girl before."

"Well, we actually haven't," Zart informed him. "None of us remember our lives before, so we've never seen a girl in the flesh before." He looked at the girl, "What's her name? Or does she not remember?"

"Doesn't remember," Minho answered for her.

Zart studied her for a few moments, before coming to a conclusion, "She's really shy and quiet, isn't she?"

Minho blinked, looking at her, "Yeah, most of the time." She smiled sweetly and innocently. "Okay, see you, Zart. Let's go take a look at the Bloodhouse."

The girl stared at him, "The Bloodhouse?"

"Where we keep the animals, and slaughter them and such," Minho said nonchalantly.

"That's nice," she said in the same tone Minho used. "I thought it was where you tortured the Gladers that broke the rules."

"That's disturbing," Minho deadpanned. "Oh, I don't think we ever told you the rules. So, the rules are 1) always do your part, 2) never hurt another Glader and 3) never go into the Maze if you are not a Runner."

"Doesn't that mean I've already broken one rule?" she wondered, looking up at the sky. "The sky looks weird.

"Well, I guess you're an exception, since the Creators put you in the Maze. And the sky has been like that since we got here, at least since I got here," Minho informed her. "And that comment was completely random."

"I know," she said, smiling. "I like randomness. So life's not boring and predictable."

Minho shrugged, hands in his pockets, "I guess you won't like life in the Glade very much. It's very predictable. You wake up, eat breakfast, do your job, eat lunch, keep doing your job, eat dinner, go to sleep."

The girl smiled, brushing aside her white bangs, "Then I won't work in the Glade."

Minho caught on immediately, and his face became serious, "Greenie, that's not something to joke about. Running in the Maze is really dangerous." His expression turned sad, "Many Runners died there."

"The Creators put me in the Maze," she argued, looking at him with determination. "They did that for a reason."

Minho didn't say anything, just continued walking. He pointed to the large red house, "This is the Bloodhouse. Winston's the Keeper here."

* * *

After they finished with the tour, Alby decided to introduce her to all the Gladers. The problem was that she still didn't remember her name. "This sucks," she complained. "Not being able to remember your own identity sucks."

"Slim it, will you?" Minho complained back. "You've said that ten times already."

She groaned, "But I still don't remember my name! And it pisses me off."

"A lot of things piss you off," Minho noted. They walked towards the dining area, where the other Gladers were congregated, waiting to meet the she-bean. "Like sexist comments, predictable things, etc."

The girl pursed her lips at him, "I'm not that irritable!"

Minho snorted, "Yeah, sure, like I'm married to a Griever." They walked into the dining area, and the place immediately fell silent as the Gladers gazed at her with awe, suspicion and confusion.

Alby and Newt were standing at the front, and Alby waved the two of them over. "This is the new Greenie."

Once the leader spoke, it seemed as if a dam broke. Questions poured out of the Gladers like water.

"How come she didn't come up in the Box?"

"How come it's only been three weeks since the last Greenie arrived?"

"Does this mean that more girls are going to be arriving?"

"Where did she come from?"

"What's her name?"

Alby held up a hand for silence. "She doesn't yet remember her name. She came from the Maze, and yes, the Runners will go check that place out tomorrow. We don't know why she came through the Maze, and why it's only been three weeks since the other Greenie arrived." He sighed, "We actually don't know anything. We'll find out in a week if the next Greenie's going to arrive I just want you all to meet her, and be _civil_ towards her."

"Lilith."

The boys all turned towards her, startled. "What?" Alby asked, brows furrowed.

The girl with eyes that glowed like fire and hair that imitated the paleness of fresh snow smiled, "My name is Lilith."


	2. Part One: Chapter 2

**Hallo! New chapter! :) Inspiration does this to me. And what would also help are reviews, favs or follows. :) lol, if you don't wanna, it's fine, but just putting it out there.**

 **Oh, and Gally's nicer here, since I'm not the best at writing mean characters. Hope you guys don't mind.**

 **Hope you like this, and thank you so much to everyone who review, favorited or followed! Also, you don't need to read the original story for this, cause this is really different from that one. :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 2

Lilith ended up rooming with Minho. Of course, Newt and Alby were slightly skeptical of why, but they still allowed her to room with him.

And she was regretting her decision.

"Lilith, Lilith, Lilith," Minho repeated over and over again. Lilith could hear the amusement in his voice, and she refused to be baited. She refused!

"Minho," she began sweetly, leaping off of her hammock and landing lightly on the floor. She turned to stare at the boy who lay on his own hammock.

"Yeah?" he asked, glancing at her. She growled when she saw the mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Shut up," she snapped.

He smirked, "Or else what, Lilith? Lilith, Lilith."

She took hold of the edges of his hammock, and wrenched it up with all her might. With a loud thud, Minho fell out of the hammock and onto the floor. "What the shuck?" he moaned, looking up at her reproachfully.

"I did tell you to shut up," she said innocently. "Anyway, I want to sleep. So it would be great if you were quiet."

"Alright, alright," Minho sat up from on the floor. "You do need your sleep. You're going to be trying out different jobs tomorrow. Usually, each Greenie starts with the Gardens, but since you 'hate' it, I managed to convince Alby to skip it and go onto the Slicers."

"Slicers? The ones that work in the Bloodhouse?" Lilith nodded thoughtfully. "Seems fun."

Minho blinked at her, "You're really disturbing."

Looking at her roommate, she titled her head to the side, "Really?"

"Shuck yeah," he snorted. "You're like shucking bipolar, and you think Slicing would be fun."

Lilith pouted, "I'm not disturbing. You know what, I'm going to sleep. Good night, Minho."

"Night, Greenie," Minho responded.

There was a moment of silence, before Lilith said, "My name's Lilith. The name that you were repeating over and over a few moments ago?"

"But you're still the Greenie, so night, Greenie."

* * *

The next morning, Lilith woke up to a screeching noise that she remembered was the Maze opening. She lay on her hammock, staring at the ceiling. _I wonder how I made the Griever stop. It was like magic! But maybe it's just a coincidence…_ She shook her head, _Stupid, of course it's not a coincidence. The Griever wouldn't just stop. Minho told me that they never stopped pursuing their prey unless the said prey was inside the Glade. Maybe it is magic. I mean, I woke up in this weird place with no memories, and everything's so strange. Magic's not far-fetched, right? Or maybe it is just a coincidence. Maybe the Creators decided to stop the Griever because I wasn't supposed to die._

"Hey, Greenie," Minho called out to her from across the room. "Rise and shine. You've got a long day ahead of you."

"Oh right, slicing!" she said enthusiastically. Hopping out of bed, she yanked her shirt off.

Minho yelped loudly, "LILITH! What the shuck are you doing?" He turned around the minute she pulled up her shirt. "Don't just strip in front of me! Where did that shy, timid girl go?"

Lilith blinked at him, "Shy, timid? Well, I trust you, so why not?" Lilith asked, eyebrows furrowed in genuine confusion.

Minho sighed in disbelief and exasperation, "Greenie, how do you know that you can trust me? What if I'm manipulating you or something? Don't be so gullible."

After putting on a clean shirt that Newt had lent her, thus a bit too large for her, and a pair of pants, Lilith informed him, "I'm done changing." When he turned back around, she gazed at him intensely, "I'm not an idiot, nor am I gullible or naive. I trust you because your intentions are good, like how I trust Newt and Alby."

"How do you even know our intentions?" Minho demanded.

She shrugged, "I just know."

"Oookay," he said dubiously. "Breakfast is starting in thirty minutes. Most of the time, we would show you Grievers now, but you've already seen a Griever, so it's not necessary." He stretched as he stood, "I'm going to change now."

"Ok," Lilith said. After a moment of silence and the two staring at each other, she blinked, "Oh, you want me to turn away?"

"Well, unless you want to see-" Minho began, before Lilith was suddenly across the room, and sticking her fist into his gut. "Oof! Shuck, woman, stop being so violent!" He staggered away from her, sulking, "How did you get across the room so quickly? I need to get a bigger room. This is too small for me to tease you."

"I don't like when people hit on me," Lilith explained unapologetically. Her heart was racing though, as she processed what had just happened. _That was no coincidence._ She definitely wasn't fast enough to cross the room in the span of one or two seconds. Something was definitely up.

At breakfast, when Lilith walked into the dining area, boys clambered over each other trying to get to her. She blinked, and then turned to Minho. Minho sighed in exasperation at the boys, "Hey, shanks, slim it. She wants food, not a bunch of hormonal shuckfaces."

The boys stopped, slightly intimidated by the Keeper of the Runners. Lilith just smiled when they walked back to their tables, slightly dejected.

"Hey, Greenie, sit with me," Minho offered, after they got their food. "Alby and Newt sit with us, along with the other Keepers."

Lilith smiled gratefully, "Thanks."

"Well, I'm not going to just leave you out there for those shanks to swallow you up," Minho joked, smirking. They sat down at the table, and Minho grinned at his friends, "Hey, guys, don't mind if the Greenie sits here?"

"Sure, why not?" Newt said, smiling. "How was your first night, Greenie?"

Lilith nodded in greeting to all of them, and answered Newt, "It was pretty good, thanks. A lot to take in, but this place's better than that place I woke up in yesterday. At least I'm not alone."

"Greenie, you met Winston and Zart. This is Clint, the Keeper of the Med-jacks," Minho introduced her to the other Keeper she had not yet met.

She smiled, "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"So, you're starting with the Gardens today?" Zart inquired politely, leaning forward.

Alby shook his head, "She's starting with the Slicers."

"Yup!" Lilith cheered, grinning. "Sounds fun!"

Zart, Clint and Newt looked dumbfounded. Winston raised an eyebrow, "Really? You do know what we do, right?"

"Yeah, but it sounds fun," she said stubbornly.

Minho laughed, "Yeah, she's disturbing in that way. Oh, and don't tease her unless you more than a room away from her. Or make any sexist comments. Those piss her off apparently."

"Pisses her off?" Newt sounded skeptical. "I don't know about you, but I can't see the Greenie angry."

Minho snorted, "Ok, maybe not _angry_ , but annoyed and irritated. She's surprisingly violent."

"Violent?!" the boys at the table gawked at Lilith.

Lilith pouted, "It's just how I show affection."

The boys gaped even more.

* * *

"So the two assignments a Slicer can have are cleaning up after the animals, or slaughtering them," Winston informed her as they made their way to the Bloodhouse. Minho had already left to Run the Maze, and the others went off to do their own stuff.

Lilith grimaced, "I don't think I'd like cleaning up after the animals."

"What about killing them?" Winston asked curiously. This girl intrigued him. Even a lot of the Gladers were squeamish about killing an animal, but this girl had claimed that it sounded fun. Not sure if it was just talk, or if she really thought it was fun, but still, it was intriguing.

She grinned, a light entering her eyes that made Winston slightly disturbed, "I think I'll be fine."

"Minho was right. You are disturbing," Winston blinked, shuddering.

She was unnerving. She had held a squirming chicken by the neck down on the wooden table, and brought down the large butcher's knife onto its neck without even batting an eye. Winston had stared, amazed and slightly terrified of this cold, cold girl. After lunch, when Lilith had went off to try out being a Builder, Winston went to tell Alby.

* * *

"How did she do?" Alby asked, sitting down at his desk. "I hope she wasn't all talk."

Winston shuddered again, "She wasn't all talk. She actually killed the chicken I told her to kill. She held it down without mercy, and just killed it. Just like that. It was amazing how indifferent she was. All of the Slicers that slaughter the animals are usually squeamish at the first or second kills. But she was completely nonchalant."

"That's… interesting," Alby said, frowning. "At least we know she can be a Slicer, no matter how strange it'd be."

* * *

She skipped to the Builders' hut, whistling to herself happily. "Gally!" she called out, knocking on the hut. "Anyone in there?"

"Yeah!" a voice from inside answered. The door opened, and a tall blond boy with these awesome eyebrows walked out. He looked at her, "You're the Greenie?"

"Yup!" she said, grinning at him. She stared at him in wonder, and reached out to touch his eyebrows.

"What the shuck are you doing, Greenie?" Gally demanded, backing away. "Don't just touch my eyebrows!"

"But they're so cool!" Lilith breathed, staring at them intensely.

Gally stared at her, slightly weirded out, "Oookay, well, let's get going."

"We're building right? I'm not really that strong though," Lilith said thoughtfully. "Maybe I won't be so good at this."

Gally studied her for a second. Lilith wasn't alarmed though. She knew he was only studying her to see her build, and how strong she looked. He snorted, "Yeah, how about you just skip this one too? Doesn't seem this you'd be any good for Building."

Lilith looked down at the ground, slightly crestfallen, "Oh ok…"

"Hey, don't look so down, Greenie," Gally said, ruffling her hair. "You're just not built to Build. There's something else you're fit to do."

Lilith giggled at his pun, "Thanks, Gally."

Since she skipped Building, Lilith decided to go check out the Med-jacks. She entered the hut, "Hello? Anyone here?"

"Yeah," Clint walked down the stairs, surprised to see her. "Greenie? I thought you were covering Slicing and Building today."

"Yeah, well, Gally and I both agreed that I wasn't built for Building. Pun is Gally's," Lilith said, making sure to credit the Keeper of the Builders.

Clint laughed, "Okay then. Let's test you out then."

They walked up to the infirmary, and he sat her down. "Usually we don't have many patients, except for the occasional Runners and Slicers. Luckily, or unluckily, Jack had his forearm sliced open by one of the gardening tools. Don't ask me how," Clint added, seeing the look on Lilith's face. "You are going to prepare him to be stitched. Obviously, I'm going to do the stitching, but you will sterilize the wound without irritating it too much and clean up the blood."

She did pretty well, but the only problem was that she was terrified of needles. "I heard that you were fine killing a chicken with this huge butcher knife. How the shuck are you afraid of a needle?" Clint demanded, looking exasperated.

"They're just so small, and sharp…" Lilith said, sulking in the corner.

Clint sighed, "You'd make a nice Med-jack assistant. Not an actual Med-jack since you can't deal with needles."

Around 5:30, Newt called her over, "This is the time when the Runners return, and when the Gates close."

The two of them stood there waiting for the Runners. "So how was Slicing and Building?"

"Slicing was nice," Lilith said, smiling. "I think I did pretty good. But for Building, Gally and I both agreed that I wasn't fit for Bulding, so I tried the Med-jacks next. Turns out that I'm scared of needles, so…"

Newt hummed, "That's interesting. Tomorrow, you'll be trying out the Cooks and the Baggers."

"Baggers?" Lilith inquired, blinking.

"Gladers who guard the Maze entrances and deal with dead bodies. The Cooks, well that's self explanatory," Newt explained.

Lilith brightened suddenly, pointing out at the Maze, "I see Minho and the others!"

The group of nine Runners sprinted into the Glade, panting heavily after a long day of running.

"Where are they going?" Lilith asked Newt curiously, watching as the Runners went off towards a hut that Minho had not shown her.

"Oh, they're going off to map the section of the Maze they explored today. Everyday, they get a new sector to run, and after they finish, they map it out," Newt explained. "You want to come with me to go see Minho?"

Lilith nodded, "Sure!"

They walked over to the Runners' Hut, and Newt knocked on the door, "Hey, Minho, how long until you finish mapping?"

"Not long! Just wait a few more minutes," Minho yelled back from inside the hut.

The door opened, and Minho walked outside, raising an eyebrow at Newt, "What's up?"

"How was Sector 4? Anything like what the Greenie described?" Newt asked.

Minho frowned, sighing, "No. Nothing new, nothing like what she described." He looked at Lilith, "Hey, Greenie."

She smiled at him, "Hey, Minho. So you didn't see anything new? Maybe the timing matters? Like what hour it is or something."

The Keeper shrugged, "Maybe. We'll find out tomorrow. How was trying out new jobs?"

"Slicing was pretty good!" Lilith said happily, giggling at Minho's disturbed expression. "But I can't be an official Med-jack, since in scared of needles… Oh and Gally and I both decided I couldn't be a Builder."

"You're scared of needles?" Minho demanded, eyebrows raised. "That's surprising."

"They're scary!" Lilith insisted, pouting. She fidgeted for a second, before blurting out, "Could I try out being a Runner?"

The two boys immediately said in unison, "No!"

"Of course you can't try out Running, Greenie!" Newt exclaimed, in disbelief. "Running is dangerous! And you're a girl-"

The minute Newt said that, Minho slapped a hand over his mouth. "Don't say that, Newt!" Minho warned frantically. "The Greenie is violent! And she hates sexist comments."

Lilith decided to ignore Newt's comment, "But like I told Minho, the Creators put me in the Maze instead of the Box for a reason. Maybe they-"

"Sorry, Greenie, but no's no," Newt said firmly. "You're staying inside the Glade."

Lilith stared at him for a moment, before relented, "Okay." She changed the subject, "When's dinner again?"

Newt and Minho exchanged a wary look, before the blond boy answered, "Around 6:30."

* * *

That night, after dinner, Minho and Lilith lay in their respective hammocks. "Hey, Greenie, what job do you think you'd want the most?"

"I don't know," Lilith replied truthfully. "I do want to try Running, but since you guys won't let me, I think I'd probably be either a Slicer or maybe a Cook. I like cooking."

"You really think you'd like Slicing? It's messy and bloody," Minho said, skepticism apparent in his voice.

Lilith shrugged, "Yeah, I'm fine with messy and bloody. Just nothing with needles."

Minho laughed, "Night, Greenie."

"Good night, Minho."


	3. Part One: Chapter 3

**Hallo! Hope you guys like this, and please leave a review! Tell me how it is, and if you have any suggestions for a slash pairing in the Gladers, review! If there's any discrepancies or any problems you see, leave a review!**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter Three

"Well, do you want to be a Bagger?" the Keeper of the Baggers, Brian, asked her. "If you don't want to, you can just go to Cooking."

"What do you do as a Bagger again?" Lilith wondered, looking up at the tall boy. _Why the hell are they so shucking tall? Makes my neck shucking hurt._

"We just guard the Maze entrances," Brian said, pointing at the two boys standing at the Gates. "We're like the police here. We catch the rule breakers, and after Alby gives them a sentence, we execute said sentence. Most of the time, it's just throwing them into the Slammers. Oh, and we deal with the dead bodies. But there's not many deaths now we've figured out how best to survive."

Lilith thought about it for a while, and then shook her head, "Sorry, but I think I'll pass being a Bagger."

Brian just nodded, as if he expected it. "Well, see you around then, Greenie. Want me to accompany you to the dining area?"

"Sure! Thanks, Brian," Lilith chirped. As they walked across the green expanse, she asked him, "When did you arrive in the Glade?"

Brian hummed, "Hm, I think two years ago? I'm one of the older Gladers here. Alby's the oldest, well, oldest surviving Glader anyway. Then it's Newt."

Lilith studied the grass, and then asked, "How many have died?"

"For the three years we've been here, about ten or so," Brian said, voice strained. "I've buried six."

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

He laughed humorlessly, "Why are you sorry? It's not like anyone could've done anything. We accepted the fact that people die. It's just how life is."

Lilith was silent. Suddenly, she stopped, head hanging down with her hair covering her eyes, "That's not fair. Why does life have to be like that?"

The Keeper set his hand on her shoulder, grey eyes compassionate, "It's okay. You'll get used to it."

"No!" Lilith said sharply, her head snapping up. Brian felt a shudder run through him when he saw those raging red eyes that burned with rage and passion. "Life doesn't have to be like this!" _I won't allow it_ , she thought fiercely.

"That's what all of the Greenies say," the boy said sadly. His eyes hardened, "Why can't you just accept the ugly truth?"

Lilith looked up at him, "Because it's not the truth."

They stopped in front of the kitchen, and Brian bade her goodbye, "Accept the truth now, Greenie, and you won't have to face the pain we all felt when we realized there wasn't anything we could do."

The albino girl stood there stubbornly, "I'll show you, Brian. I'll show you that that isn't the truth."

Frypan, the Keeper of the Cooks, stared down at her. _Why are all of them taller than me? I'm 5'6"! That's not short!_ Lilith sulked internally.

"Greenie, you're task is to make an omelet," Frypan said sternly. "Do not make a mess. If you do, you will clean it all up until my kitchen is as spotless as it is now."

Lilith gulped, "Yessir!"

She stood in front of the stove, pouring the beat eggs into the pan. Frypan did not hover over her shoulder. Rather, he was preparing lunch for all of the Gladers, along with one other Cook. "There aren't many Cooks," Lilith commented, breaking the silence.

"Because most of the shanks can't cook," Frypan said bluntly. "At first we had the Greenie make a third of the food needed for each meal, but after the kitchen was destroyed a few times, we decided to make the task smaller and less destructive."

Lilith giggled, smiling. "I dream of a stairway to the skies. My angel is coming down from heaven to take me. I reach out but then you fade away," she hummed absentmindedly as she flipped her omelet over.

"You have a nice voice," the other Cook, Lorenzo, complimented her.

Lilith glanced at him, and smiled, "Thanks." Turning back to her omelet, she called out to Frypan, "Hey, I think I'm done."

Frypan peered over her shoulder, inspecting the omelet. He looked impressed, "It looks pretty good. Let's taste it." He grabbed two forks and two knives, and passed a set to Lorenzo. The two sliced up the omelet.

After tasting it, Lorenzo grinned, clapping her on the back, "Tastes delicious! You're shucking good!"

Lilith smiled proudly, "Really? Thanks!"

"I heard you're good at Slicing," Frypan started, looking thoughtful. "But we really do need more Cooks. Cooking for thirty something Gladers is difficult with only two Cooks. One more would definitely help."

Lilith also looked thoughtful, "If that's the case, then I'll just be a Cook then."

Frypan smiled for the first time, "The menu for lunch is written here." He showed her a slip of paper with different dishes written down.

"Thirty three bacon, lettuce and cheese sandwiches?" Lilith exclaimed, eyes bulging out. "That's a lot!"

"Like I said. Cooking for thirty three people is difficult," Frypan deadpanned.

Lilith immediately went to work, chopping up lettuce, and frying the bacon. Lorenzo worked right next to her, putting together the sandwiches. "In addition to being a Cook, I think you should sing for us at night," Lorenzo suggested, grinning.

"Do we have microphones?" Lilith wondered aloud. "Cause that would help. I don't mind singing for you guys."

"You could ask the Creators for a sound system when the Box next comes up," the brown haired Cook informed her.

"Oh, that's convenient. Thanks for letting me know," Lilith said gratefully. Even though she was a Cook now, she was determined to become a Runner. Anything to find a way out, and way to freedom.

* * *

During lunch, Lilith went over to sit with Newt and the others again. "Hey, guys!" she greeted cheerfully. She gestured at the food on the table, "How do you like it?"

"It's good," Newt said, looking at her curiously. "Why?"

"I made it! Well, Lorenzo put it together, and I chopped the lettuce and fried the bacon," Lilith elaborated.

"Oh, so you're going to be a Cook?" Winston inquired, looking slightly disappointed at the loss of a potential Slicer.

Lilith was apologetic, "Frypan said that having two Cooks made food for thirty three Gladers was too difficult, so I decided to be a Cook to help ease the load."

"Hey, Newt, Alby," Lorenzo greeted as he walked over from his table. "I have an idea. You know how we usually have a welcoming party for Greenies? We should have her sing!"

"Welcoming party?" Lilith repeated, blinking.

Alby raised an eyebrow at Lorenzo, "She's a good singer?" Addressing Lilith, he answered her question, "Yes, we have a welcoming party the night the Greenie arrives. However, your arrival was not planned, so we didn't have one last night. We're having one tonight. You want to sing?"

"Sure!" she chirped. "It'll be fun!"

* * *

When she finally had some time on her own, Lilith wandered off to the forest that was attached to the Gardens. She leaned against a tree trunk, staring at her hands. "Can I really stop time?" she wondered aloud. "Might as well try it out."

She caught sight of a squirrel that was trying to clamber up a tree. "Perfect," she said, grinning. Reaching out her hands, she frowned in concentration. To her utter astonishment, the squirrel slowed down dramatically, small paws reaching for the crooks in the tree trunk in slow motion. With another pulse of energy, the squirrel froze in its tracks completely. She gawked, open mouthed in shock.

"What the shuck?" she breathed out, eyes wide. "Am I hallucinating?" She pinched herself on the arm, yelping in pain, "Not hallucinating!"

She lowered her hands, and released the squirrel. It scurried away, and vanished into the trees. Her eyes held a new light, "I will become a Runner."

* * *

Lilith lounged on the ground next to the fire, smiling as she watched the boys fool around and have fun. The welcoming party was nice, and she felt happy.

"Greenie!" Minho came running over to her, holding a amber colored drink in his hand. "How's the party so far?"

"It's nice," she said, look up at him. "Sit down, my neck hurts from staring up at all you tall shanks. Why are you all so shucking tall? I'm pretty sure I'm not short, but you all are so freakishly tall."

Minho laughed as he sat down next to her, "Nah, I'm pretty sure you're just short." He lifted the drink to his mouth, and took a sip.

Lilith pouted, sulking, "I'm not that short." She turned to watch him curiously. "What's that?" she asked, pointing at the drink.

Minho glanced at her, "This? It's alcohol. An original concoction Gally made from the supplies the Creators sent up here."

"Ooh, can I try some?"

The Keeper raised an eyebrow at her, "It's pretty strong, you know. Aren't you singing for us? Wouldn't want you to be drunk."

"That's true," Lilith mused. "I'll just have a drink after I sing!"

Minho laughed, "If you want. What song are you going to sing?"

Lilith blinked, and then swore, "Shuck, didn't think of a song to sing!"

Minho facepalmed, sighing in exasperation, "Of course you didn't think about it." He leaned forward, "But I do have a question. Why are you okay with singing in front of all the Gladers? Two days ago, you seemed so shy."

"That's a good question," Lilith said, staring up at the night sky. "I dunno."

"You don't know," he repeated, blinking dubiously. She nodded, still looking up at the sky. Shaking his head exasperatedly, Minho changed the subject, "So you're a Cook now, right? Gave up on being a Runner?"

"Nope," she said without hesitation. "I'll be a Cook for now. But I will become a Runner."

Minho gazed at her for a long moment, before replying, "Keep dreaming, Greenie."

When she was called up to sing, she smiled at the boys, bowing, "Hey, so, I'm going to sing a song tonight. I'm not sure if you know it, but it's called Take Me to Church."

"My lover's got humour

She's the giggle at a funeral

Knows everybody's disapproval

I should've worshipped her sooner

If the Heavens ever did speak

She is the last true mouthpiece

Every Sunday's getting more bleak

A fresh poison each week

'We were born sick, ' you heard them say it

My church offers no absolutes

She tells me 'worship in the bedroom'

The only heaven I'll be sent to

Is when I'm alone with you

I was born sick, but I love it

Command me to be well

Amen. Amen. Amen

Take me to church

I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies

I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife

Offer me that deathless death

Good God, let me give you my life

No masters or kings when the ritual begins

There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin

In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene

Only then I am human

Only then I am clean

Amen. Amen. Amen

Take me to church

I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies

I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife

Offer me that deathless death

Good God, let me give you my life

Take me to church

I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies

I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife

Offer me that deathless death

Good God, let me give you my life."

When she finished, the Gladers erupted into applause. "This is why they should've sent us a girl earlier!"

"Nice job, Greenie!"

"You should sing for us every night!"

Lilith smiled a strained smile, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the converging crowd of boys. Suddenly, Minho was in front of her, "Back off, shanks. Don't crowd her."

A brave, or stupid, Glader stepped up into Minho's face, "Who made you her protector?"

Minho loomed over him intimidatingly, "Who says I can't? She's not complaining, so back the shuck off."

Alby separated the two, gaze disapproving, "Don't crowd her. And since Minho's apparently one of the only ones who care about her space and wishes, it would do you well to listen to him."

Lilith took that opportunity to vanish away from the crowd after a whispered thanks to Minho. She walked around, looking for Gally. "Hey, Gally!" she called out, running towards the Keeper of the Builders, who was sitting next to a table of drinks. "Minho said that you made some alcoholic drink, and I would like to try some."

Gally looked up, and raised an eyebrow, "You want a drink?"

"Yeah!" she said excitedly. Gally just stared at her, and she pouted, "Gally, just one drink won't hurt."

Apparently one drink did hurt. Lilith would later say that it wasn't her fault for knowing that she was such a lightweight.

"Minhooo," Lilith staggered towards the Keeper of the Runners, a drunken smile on her lips. "You look funny," she slurred.

Minho looked at her in alarm, "Greenie! How many drinks did you have?"

"Just one," she giggled, clinging onto his arm, and resting her head against his chest. "Everything looks so fuunny. Why does it look soo fuunnyy?"

"Oh shuck it," Minho sighed. "You are such a lightweight."

"Am noooot," she said drunkenly. "Ooh, Gally!" she let out gales of laughter as she pointed at the other boy. "Gally!"

Said boy took one look at her, and ran off in the opposite direction. Minho blinked, "What did you do to him?"

"I just wanted to touch his eyebrows!" she defended herself. It didn't help though that each word stumbled into the next. "His eyebrows are funny."

"You're finding a lot of things funny," Minho grunted, as he hauled her towards the Homestead.

Lilith blinked, "Minho, where we going? Minhoooo~"

"We're going back to the Homestead. You are going to go to sleep, and sleep off all the alcohol," Minho said, carrying her bridal style.

Lilith wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling into him, "Minhooo~! You smell reaaally nice."

Minho's breath hitched. "Lilith. Stop," he said, trying to be calm. "Before you do something you regret."

Lilith opened her mouth, and was about to say something, but luckily for Minho, she chose that moment to pass out.


	4. Part One: Chapter 4

**Hallo! Another chapter! If you like this, please review, favorite or follow! If there's any discrepancies or problems, review or PM me!**

 **Reviews make me happy, cause they let me know what you guys think about my story. :)**

 **I added in the part with Ben being Banished and all, just letting y'all know! :)**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter Four

A week later, the entirety of the Glade stood around the place where the Box usually would come up, waiting to see if it would arrive like usual. Minho was even there, for he decided that he also wanted to see if the Box came up, and if it did, whether or not the new Greenie was a girl or boy. "You just don't want to Run," Newt scoffed.

Minho smirked, "What're you talking about? I have no idea what you're talking about."

A loud screeching sound wailed through the Glade, and all the Gladers began to murmur. "Do you think it's a girl or a boy?" Minho asked Lilith, nudging her.

"I hope it's a girl," Lilith said, rubbing her hands together. "It'd be nice to have female company."

"You sure?" Minho asked teasingly. "Won't you be jealous if I start paying more attention to her? Aah! Shuck, woman! Stop!" He held his side, staring at Lilith warily.

She shook out her hand after jabbing him in the side, peering over at the emerging Box, "Who says I want your attention?"

"So cold, Greenie," Minho gasped in false agony. "To think that you don't want me even when we're roommates!"

Lilith opened her mouth to respond, but then the Box arrived, and everyone surged forward.

"It's a boy!" Newt yelled over the commotion. He turned around to face the Gladers, "Oi, back off! You'll see the Greenie after he gets out of the Box."

"It's a boy?" a Glader said with disappointment. "I hoped there'd be another hot chick."

Lilith rolled her eyes at his comment, and turned to Minho, "So are you going to go Run now?"

"Nah, I'll just take today off," Minho said, grinning.

The Greenie was another tall male ( _Why the hell are they all so shucking tall?)_ with dark hair and pale skin. He was terrified and confused, staring at the Gladers like a panicked animal.

Suddenly, his eyes fell on Lilith, and he stepped forward, panic gone from his eyes, "Lilith."

All the Gladers fell silent, turning to stare at Lilith. She looked at the boy with large eyes, and all of a sudden, she was assaulted with a barrage of scenes that seemed like memories.

" **Lilith, you can't let anyone know," a woman with long pale hair and a stern expression said with intensity. "No one can know about your magic, except for those who already know, like Teresa and Thomas."**

 **Thomas smiled at her, "Everything will be okay, Lils. I'll be sent up a week after you, and then Teresa'll also arrive."**

" **But I won't remember you, and I won't remember how to use my magic! What if I slip up and accidentally show my magic in front of them?" Lilith cried out, looking panicked. "What if I mess up?"**

 **Chancellor Paige set her hand on her shoulder soothingly, "It's ok. We'll send you up not by the Box, but by the exit. And from there, you'll find out about your magic. Everything will be okay, Lilith. WICKED is good."**

 **Lilith smiled up at Chancellor Paige, feeling reassured, "WICKED is good."**

Lilith gasped, gulping in air. She surged forward towards the boy, "Thomas?"

"What the hell's going on?" Alby demanded, staring at the two with suspicion. "How do you two know each other?"

Lilith just stared at him, eyes wide. Thomas turned to glance at Alby, "I-I don't know. She just seems so familiar."

Minho set a hand on her shoulder, grip hard and unrelenting. Lilith looked up at him, doe eyed. "What do you mean?" Minho demanded, voice cold as he addressed the new boy. "What do you remember?"

"I don't remember anything," Thomas said slowly, frowning. The realization began to sink in, and his expression turned to panic, "I can't remember anything! Nothing about my life, nothing about my family. Only my name… and the feeling of familiarity I have with her."

The air around Minho became colder and colder. Lilith patted him on the shoulder, "Yeah, I think we were friends before this."

Newt raised an eyebrow at Minho, but turned to Thomas, "So, you obviously have questions and all, but save them for after the tour. I'll be giving you the tour tomorrow, since Alby's busy, and the day's getting late."

"Who's Alby?" Thomas asked without thinking.

Newt sighed, "I said all questions after the tour, but I'll answer this one. Alby's the oldest Glader here, and our leader. I'm Newt, Alby's right hand man." Newt dragged Thomas away from them before he could start asking more questions.

Lilith giggled, "Thomas is funny."

"Yeah, right," Minho grumbled, staring at the Box in dismay.

Not noticing his dour mood, Lilith just patted him on the arm, "I'm going to go see what's inside the Box."

"Oi, Lilith!" a familiar voice called over from the crowd of Gladers. Lilith turned around to see Gally waving at her, "There's a box just for you!"

Lilith lit up, like a child on Christmas Day. She made her way through the crowd of boys, who parted for her. "Really? Thanks, Gally!" she took the box, and beamed at the Keeper.

Gally rolled his eyes at her, a hint of a smile playing at his lips, "Just don't go around touching my eyebrows, weirdo."

The girl just grinned.

She was about to step away from the crowd and back to Minho, who still stood at the back brooding, but Gally called out to her, "Lilith, there's- This is… Minho, get over here!"

Minho's head snapped up, and he blinked at them, before walking over, "What?"

Gally shoved a piece of paper at the Runner, eyes wide, "Read it."

Minho's eyebrows furrowed, and he read aloud in a disbelieving voice, "It says, 'She is to be a Runner.'"

The Gladers fell silent, staring at her. She blinked, and then whooped, "Shuck yeah!" She stopped, "Wait, am I really going to be a Runner?"

"Shuck no-" Minho began with agitation.

Alby cut in, gaze calculating and curious, "No. She will become a Runner. You're going to train her, Minho, and she's going to be your new Running partner."

Minho stared at the dark skinned leader, slack jawed, as did Frypan. "What?!" the two Keepers cried out.

Minho's reason was, "It's too dangerous!"

"She's one of the only decent cooks!" Frypan exclaimed, looking disbelieving. "You can't just take her away!"

Alby just raised an eyebrow at the two Keepers, expression stern. After a few minutes, Frypan backed down with a look of utter disappointment. Minho held on for a few more minutes, but also relented in the face of their leader's decision. Lilith had a large smile on her face, "Thanks, Alby!"

Alby looked at her with a burning gaze, "Don't hold Minho back."

She yelped, "Yessir!"

A few minutes later, Clint was standing near the Box, jotting down everything that everyone wanted to request from the Creators. When it was Lilith's turn, she looked up at the weirdly shaped sky thoughtfully, "Ummm, well, a sound system with microphones and such, so we can have entertainment every night!"

Some of the other Gladers who were in earshot agreed wholeheartedly with her suggestion. She smiled, and turned back to Clint, "And semi automatic handgun. With ten boxes of ammunition."

The boys around her stopped and stared at her. "What the shuck?" Gally demanded, eyes narrowed. "Planning to gun down some Grievers?"

"Yeah," she said with determination.

The boys just laughed at her, shaking their heads. Clint raised an eyebrow at her, and she nodded, "Just write it down. Maybe it'll come into use later on, even if it can't kill a few Grievers."

Clint looked dubious, but jotted it down anyway.

She thanked him, and went over to Minho, "Minho, why are you so against me being a Runner?"

He looked away, a frown on his face, "It's too dangerous. Too risky."

"Just because I'm a girl or something," she began, hands on her hips, "doesn't mean that I don't have as much stamina as you." _Plus the fact I've been practicing my magic, so that'll help too. But I'm not telling anyone about that._

"I know that!" Minho said hastily, trying to prevent another jab in the ribs from Lilith. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

Lilith smirked, "Aw, that's cute. But I'll be fine."

Minho glared at her playfully, "Fine, fine, I'll train you. We'll start tomorrow morning."

* * *

After she was done getting her Running shoes and all, Lilith hiked across the entirety of the Glade, looking for the Greenie. "Where the hell can one boy be? I mean, the Glade is only so big," she muttered to herself, glowering as she trekked across the grass once more, heading towards the Deadheads, the only place she hadn't yet looked.

"Brian!" she called out, lighting up as she caught sight of the tall grey eyed boy.

Said boy turned around, and then waved at her, "Lilith! What's up? Heard you were promoted to a Runner. Any idea why the Creators would do something like that?"

Lilith smiled at him in greeting, and answered his question, "I have no idea. But as an opportunist, I don't really care why they did that."

"You wanted to be a Runner?" Brian questioned, raising an eyebrow. When she nodded, his shoulders slumped, "Just be careful. I don't want to bury you."

"Don't worry! You won't," she said with passion, eyes alight. "I still have to show you that there is a way out of this Maze. We will be free, even if it costs us our blood and tears."

Brian felt that strange and distinct emotion of fear and a sort of energy that made him feel alive when he stared into her red eyes that seemed to flicker with flames. He raised an eyebrow, "I'll be waiting then."

Lilith smirked at him, "You'll see. You'll see." Turning towards the Deadheads, she asked, "Have you seen the Greenie?"

"Oh yeah, he ran into the Deadheads," Brian nodded, gesturing at the cemetery. "You looking for him?"

"Yeah," Lilith said. "I'll see you later then."

She walked into the Deadheads, "Thomas?" Silence. She sighed, and ventured further into the cemetery, "Hey, Thomas?"

"Lilith?" Thomas poked his head out from behind a tree. "What're you doing here?"

"I was looking for you," she replied, looking at him. "Wanted to talk."

He raised an eyebrow, "About what? Planning on interrogating me for things I can't shucking remember?"

Lilith's lips quirked, "Not really, but if you want me to, sure." She giggled at his surly expression, "Nah, just wanted to see if you had any questions. Maybe I can answer them."

"Why would you answer my questions when Newt and Alby won't?" Thomas demanded, eyes narrowed.

"When I first got here, they gave the answers because it was the only way to sort of get the big picture," she said simply. "I'm sure you would want answers as well."

"Wait, how did you get here?" Thomas asked curiously, leaning forward.

Lilith sighed, looking up at the sky again, "Well, you see, I didn't come up to the Glade like everyone else did. Everyone else, including you came up from the Box. I came from the Maze. It was a weird place. One walkway that stretched from one door to the other, and all around it was a black abyss that fell into nothingness. And guess who I had the pleasure of meeting first?" She laughed humorlessly, "A Griever. Scared the shuck out of me, but I escaped that place, and ended up in the Maze. As I was running, since the Griever was chasing me, I bumped into Minho. Well, more like crashed into him, but anyway, he then took me to the Glade, and that's how I got here."

"Oh, wow," Thomas said, wide eyed. Looking more encouraged, he asked his first question, "Why can't we go into the Maze?"

"Because of the Grievers," Lilith answered with hesitation. "The Grievers are these huge shucking creatures with these tails that are super sharp. They also have stingers that will inject you with poison if you get stung. Of course, the Creators send up this antidote called the Grief Serum, but then you go through this process called the Changing. It's apparently super painful, and many have gone insane from it."

Thomas looked slightly green, "Oh. That's horrible."

"Yeah," Lilith looked down at her hands. "I've only been here for a week, so I haven't really seen all the death and stuff, but Alby, Minho, Newt… They've seen people die from the stings. It's really sad that they have to witness such things."

Thomas was silent for a moment, before saying, "Is there a way out of the Maze?"

"I don't know," Lilith said truthfully. "The Runners navigate the Maze, looking for a way out, but it's been three years, and no one's found anything."

Thomas sighed in dejection, "That's so depressing."

"Hey, cheer up," she said sharply, smacking the back of his head. She grinned at his yelp of protest, "We're not going to live out our lives here. We're going to get out of here, and find our freedom. We're going to fight for our lives and freedom, and for those who died. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!" he said, smiling tentatively.

She smiled back, remembering the memory that had suddenly surfaced. Why had it surfaced? Were the Creators trying to tell her something? That she could trust Thomas? She opened her mouth to speak, but then was interrupted by a high pitched scream. The two of them whirled around, shooting to their feet.

"Ben!" Lilith gasped, eyes wide. "Ben, why are you out here? You-"

The former Runner that was Stung cut her off with insane ramblings, pointing at Thomas with a shaking finger, "Get away from him, Lilith! He's dangerous! He-" He inhaled heavily, eyes crazed as he advanced on Thomas, "You did this to us! To me! You ruined our lives!"

"Thomas," Lilith said calmly, ignoring how her heart was pounding. "Get out of here. Now. Ben's only after you."

Apparently he wasn't. He lunged at them, and since Lilith had stepped in front of Thomas, he slammed into her. She shrieked, falling back and slamming her head against the ground. She blinked a few times, trying to blink away the stars in her eyes.

"Lilith! Are you okay?" Thomas shouted, as he tried to evade the snarling Glader.

Lilith groaned as she sat up, feeling that back of her head, "Yeah, I'm fine. Get out of here now, Thomas! I'll keep Ben calm."

Thomas looked extremely reluctant to leave Lilith, but as Ben lunged at him once again, he ran off towards the exit of the Deadheads. Ben ran after him, but before he could, Lilith had thrown herself onto him, wrapping her arms around him in an attempt to stop him. "Ben, calm down. Hey, calm down."

He struggled against her grip, but she tightened her hold on him, putting her magic to use as his movements grew sluggish and discoordinated. "Shhh," she whispered in his ear. "Calm down. Tell me calmly about what you mean."

Ben stared at her with unfocused eyes, "Thomas, he works for WICKED." Lilith was about to ask him what WICKED was, before she heard voices coming towards them. She immediately let go of him, and withdrew her magic.

Minho, Newt, Alby and Brian ran into the clearing, along with Thomas. As soon as he saw Thomas, Ben lost that calm and unfocused composure he had with Lilith, and threw himself at the dark haired Greenie with wild abandon. "Die!" he screamed, clawing at Thomas.

Minho grabbed Ben's arms, pulling him off of Thomas with a grunt. "Dammit," he snarled, expression resigned and defeated. "Dammit!"

Newt and Alby both sighed, and exchanged looks of grief. "He'll have to be Banished," Newt muttered lowly.

* * *

"Where were you doing with the Greenie in the Deadheads?" Minho asked as the others got ready for the Banishment.

"I was talking with Thomas," she answered. "About how I got here. Oh, I also answered some of his questions, but we were interrupted by Ben. And what's a Banishment?"

Minho looked away from her, eyes hard, "We're literally banishing him. Like, kicking him out of the Glade."

Lilith understood what he meant. They were sending Ben to his death. "I'm sorry."

Minho was silent.

With one look at his stony face, Lilith hastily changed the subject, "So for tomorrow, I'm Running with you?"

"Well, Alby's going come Run with us, because he always does after each Banishment. We try to track where they go to see if the Changing helped them get to anywhere important to our escape in the Maze," Minho explained. "You should Run with Jackson, so you don't get in the way."

Lilith didn't take offense to that comment, and just nodded solemnly. "Okay."

Little did they know that that one Run would change their lives forever.


	5. Part One: Chapter 5

**ANOTHER CHAPTER! I am on a roll here! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review! Tell me how it is, if there's anything I can fix, and your thoughts!**

 **I would love to read your opinions on this.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter Five

Watching Ben being Banished really opened Lilith's eyes. She had seen the resigned and defeated looks in all of the Gladers, looks that told her that they had accepted this. They had accepted the fact that death by the hands of the unnatural **(basically not dying through natural means like old age)** wasn't something they could fight against, which she acknowledged as true. However, they way they were so resigned and defeated just rubbed Lilith in all the wrong ways.

Brian had looked at her, like he was saying "I told you so." The other Gladers were all solemn, but the level of grief was low. Surprisingly low. And Lilith finally understood what Brian meant when he said all of the other Gladers accepted the fact that anyone, more specifically, the Runners, could just die. She realized that despite the spirit some of the Runners had, most of the Gladers believed they couldn't get out of the Maze. To them, it was useless to mourn.

There was nothing they could do.

* * *

Jackson was another really tall boy with a shock of white hair, just like Lilith's. He grinned at her, "Excited for your first day of Running in the Maze?"

"Yeah," she said, a smile playing at her lips as she stared at the corridors of the Maze with trepidation. "And a bit scared too."

"Aw, don't be. You've already been in the Maze, so it'll be fine," Jackson said reassuringly. "You'll be fine. I'm right here, and Minho would kill me if something happened to you, so I'll protect you."

She smiled at him sweetly, "Thanks. And what do you mean by Minho would kill you?"

"Oh, um, nevermind," Jackson said, smiling like he knew something she didn't. And she bet he did. "Anyway," the Runner said, changing the subject abruptly. "We're running Sector 5, but we're going deep into it, since it's your first time, and I don't want you collapsing on me. Anyone who stays overnight in the Maze dies."

"Why?" Lilith asked, eyebrows furrowed. "Is there something that kills them?"

Jackson looked at her, "Well, yeah. The Grievers kill them."

"But if you can evade the Grievers-" Lilith began.

He cut her off, "No one's been able to evade Grievers for the entire night. If you're left out there for the night, you're dead."

Once the Gates were fully open, the Runners headed off into the Maze. Lilith ran behind Jackson, pacing herself.

"Ok, so," Jackson began, stopping at an intersection. "Whenever you cross an intersection like this, you cut off a piece of vine." He took out his knife and sliced off a long piece of the thick, green vine. "And then you leave it here," he bent down and left it on the side of the corridor they were about to leave. "This way you can retrace your way back to the Maze if you don't remember."

Lilith nodded, "Okay. So you have to remember how everything's located? Since you have to draw the maps and stuff."

"Yeah, it took me a few days to remember everything and piece together all the turns and intersections you Run by, but you'll get it," Jackson said unconcernedly, as he began running again.

Lilith nodded, making sure to remember all the turns and intersections they ran through, trying to create a picture in her head.

It was really hard. Sometimes she would lose track of where they were, and how they got there, and the map in her head would be distorted. But all in all, the Run was pretty successful as she did not get lost, and did not fall behind Jackson.

Or so they thought.

As they started to make their way back to the Glade, they heard it. The ominous whirring sounds of an approaching Griever.

Jackson froze, and stared at Lilith for a moment, listening hard. He swore, "Shuck it! Let's go, Lilith, we have to hurry!"

They were at an intersection at the time, and to their worst fortune, not only one Griever appeared. Two did. One charging towards Lilith, and the other towards Jackson. Instinctively, Lilith ran off in the opposite direction as the Griever that was headed towards her, and Jackson ran in the opposite direction as the Griever nearing him, or in relation to Lilith, the corridor to her right and not the one she entered.

"Shit," she swore, as she realized she was alone and with no way to find Jackson. She held out her hands to stop the Griever, and when it did, she ran off, taking a couple of random turns.

Sure that the Griever would not be able to find her, she released it from her magic's grasp with a relieved sigh as she felt the pressure of maintaining her grip on the Griever fade away.

But the relief faded fast when she realized she was completely and utterly lost. "Shit, shit, shit!" she cursed, staring at the menacing, stone walls with trepidation and fear.

Lilith walked around one corner, hopelessly lost. "Dammit, what the shuck do I do now?" She stared at the sun. "It's 4:30, and the Gates close in an hour. The sun was supposed to be on my right, but now it's on my left, so I guess I run to the right?" she thought aloud, brain working furiously to try and find a way back to the Glade. "Guess I'll give it a try," she sighed.

"4:30," Lilith sighed with discouragement. "Where the shuck is the Glade?"

She jogged along the corridors, chest constricting with anxiety. Suddenly, she heard harsh breathing and curses. Blinking in surprise, she picked up her pace towards the source of the sounds. "Minho?!" she exclaimed in surprise. She noticed their dark skinned leader that Minho was carrying. "Alby, what-" she began, before trailing off as she began to understand the situation. "He's been stung."

Minho froze and his head snapped up, eyes widening. "Lilith, what the shuck are you doing here? Where's Jackson?"

"Heh, long story," Lilith said sheepishly. "Two Grievers split us up, and I couldn't find him…"

Minho swore, straightening, "You want to lend me a hand? Alby's not the lightest."

Lilith rushed forward to sling Alby's other arm around her shoulders, taking half of the burden off of Minho. "Um, sorry, but I don't know how to get back to the Glade…" she said softly.

"It's fine," Minho said irritably. "Just make sure to keep up with me."

When they finally saw the entrance to the Glade, the sun was beginning to set. It was 5:28. Two more minutes, and almost twenty more yards to cover. "Minho," Lilith began, breathing heavily. "We're not going to make it."

"Shut up," Minho snarled with venom. "Shut up. We're going to make it."

Lilith could feel the fatigue making every movement sluggish and unfocused, the soreness of her muscles making it impossible to keep up with Minho. Minho growled, yanking Alby away from her and onto his shoulders. He glanced at her, "Hurry up. Don't get left behind."

Lilith fell back, gasping for oxygen and shaking her head, "Minho, I really can't. We can't get back in time. Face it, Minho! You're wasting precious energy that might help if we're stuck here."

Minho continued to struggle on, ignoring her pleas. Lilith made her way slowly towards the entrance of the Glade, catching sight of the Gladers congregated around the Gates.

"Minho, Alby!" Newt screamed, despair clear in his voice. "Lilith!"

"Shuck it, Lilith!" Brian shouted. "You promised me!"

Lilith felt tears spring into her eyes, and she surged forward, trying to ignore the pain in her muscles. She promised the Keeper of the Baggers that she would get back safely. She thrust out her hand, trying to find the energy to slow the closing of the Gates. To her relief, she felt her magic take hold, and saw the Gates visibly slow.

Suddenly, she heard screams of "Tommy!" and "Greenie, what the shuck are you doing?" Looking up, she lost control over her magic when she saw Thomas slip through the gap between the Gates. As he stumbled into the Maze, the Gate closed with a ominous clang.

"Thomas?" Lilith breathed in shock.

Minho stopped, falling back in fatigue and defeat. He turned on Thomas, expression filled with fury, "What the shuck do you think you're doing? Did you think you could just run in and be a shucking hero? Shuck it all! We're all going to die!"

Lilith sat down, leaning against the wall of the corridor, gulping down water. "Come on," she said, looking at Minho placatingly. "We have to replenish ourselves and get some energy back."

She took out a few sandwiches, tossing one each to Minho and Thomas. Thomas blinked at her, "Why do you have so many sandwiches?"

"Oh, well, it was my first run and I was just preparing for any possible situation," Lilith said sheepishly.

Minho sighed in exasperation, "If we had gotten back safely, I'd say you were being way to paranoid and over prepared." He let Alby down onto the ground, "Shuck, what the hell are we going to do? We're going to die!"

Lilith breathed in deeply, trying to get back as much energy as she could. "We will survive."

Thomas smiled at her, "Yeah. We are going to live to see tomorrow."

"You shucking optimistic newbies!" Minho shouted, eyes flashing with anger and despair. "How are we going to run from Grievers for the entire night, huh? Even if we rest enough now, we won't be able to run for our lives for hours on end!"

"Minho, please, calm down," Lilith begged, taking his arm into her grip. "Let's just all calm down as think this through."

Minho looked down at her for a few moments, clearly struggling to get his fear under control. He breathed in deeply, "Ok, ok, let's think. First thing we need to do is get Alby somewhere safe and out of the way. We can't look over him and avoid the Grievers."

The three looked around the empty corridors. "And of course there's nowhere to hide him," Minho said wryly.

Thomas was looking up at the walls of the corridors, face scrunched up in concentration. "What about the vines?"

"What about the vines?" Lilith asked, emphasizing the 'about'. The two Runners stared at Thomas uncomprehendingly.

"Well, we could use the vines to pull Alby up and out of the way," Thomas said, scratching the back of his head.

Minho stared at him for a moment, and then said, "Good idea. I've never thought about using the vines as ropes!"

The three of them set to work, tying the thick vines around Alby's torso, legs and arms, and pulling him up the wall. "Why are these things so shucking thick?" Lilith growled, yanking on it with all her might, trying to tie it into a knot so Alby didn't fall back onto the ground.

"You really are a genius, Thomas," Lilith said happily, grinning at him. The two boys smiled back, feeling relieved that their leader was safe.

Their feeling of relief was short lived, as they heard the ominous whirring sounds. Heart pounding faster, Lilith turned to see a Griever barrelling towards them. "Run!" Minho shouted, racing off in one direction.

 _I've already bumped into a Griever! Why another one?_ Lilith thought in exasperation.

Thomas grabbed Lilith's arm, pulling her in the other direction just as the Griever slammed into the position she in moments ago. "Thanks," she gasped out to Thomas, forcing her tired legs to keep up with Thomas.

"No problem," he called back, tugging her along as the Griever crawled towards them. "Just don't freeze like that again."

THey ran through the corridors of the Maze, hoping they could shake off the Griever. Lilith wished she could use her magic, but at a time like this, when her energy levels were so depleted, she'd probably collapse before being able to stop the Griever.

Suddenly, they heard a loud grinding sound that seemed to approach them. Lilith glanced towards the source of the sound, eyes widening, "Shuck! Thomas, the Maze is shifting!"

"What the shuck? Now of all times?" Thomas swore, letting go of Lilith's arm.

The stone walls began to move, creating new pathways. The wall in front of Thomas and Lilith turned abruptly, nearly crashing into Lilith. She threw herself sideways to avoid the large wall, scrambling to her feet as soon as she met the ground, ignoring the pain.

"LILITH!" Thomas screamed from the other side of the wall. Lilith cursed as she realized she was once again alone, separated from Thomas. And the Griever.

She felt relieved, and guilty at the same time. Her friend was stuck with a Griever, all alone, and she was safe for the time being. She cursed, but began to jog towards an intersection. "At least there's no Griever chasing me," she panted, feeling nauseous from so much running.

All around her, the Maze continued to change, some walls coming together to close off a pathway, and some rotating to form new ones.

Lilith rounded one corner, and suddenly crashed into something. She looked up, _I'm feeling the deja vu here…_ In front her was the Keeper of the Runners, panting and as out of breath as she was. "Lilith? Where's Thomas?"

"The Maze split us up," Lilith answered. "And the Griever's chasing Thomas." She laughed humorlessly, "Well, this was a great first Run."

"Slim it, Lilith," Minho groaned, leaning against the wall. "We have to find Thomas, or at least pray that he won't get ripped to pieces."

Lilith raise an eyebrow at his comment, "Pleasant."

The pair of walls that made up the corridor in front of them let out a groaning noise, and the two fell back as the corridor's space began to shrink.

Lilith's eyes widened in alarm as her eyes were able to make out the shape of Thomas running for his life as the Griever chased him relentlessly. "Shuck, he won't make it!" she cried out.

Minho just looked away, unable to take in the sight of Thomas being crushed to death by the walls. Lilith gritted her teeth, mustering up her energy and magic. She pushed out her hand, and forced the walls to slow down, creating more time for Thomas to get out. She screamed, falling to her knees as she struggled to control her magic and keep the walls open long enough for her friend to survive. The pressure of her magic pressed down on her incessantly, sucking all the energy she had out. Just as Thomas fell through the small opening, Lilith released her magic, letting the walls close and crush the approaching Griever to death.

It was silent for a moment, as the Maze ceased to alternate. Thomas was on the ground, panting heavily. Minho was standing there in shock, staring at the girl.

Lilith was lying on her back, breathing in deeply, trying to calm her heart and blink away the spots in her vision. She rolled over on her hands and knees, and retched. She coughed and wiped away the bile from her mouth.

"Lilith, are you alright?" Thomas asked, concern clear in his voice as he crawled towards her, worried over her despite his own wracking coughs and heavy breathing.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay," Lilith breathed out. "Just really sore and tired."

Minho looked at her with a calculating gleam in his eye, but didn't confront her, "We should probably try to get back to where Alby is. Try to get back to the Gates."

"Yeah," Lilith agreed, pushing herself up with shaking arms. "Yeah, we have to go." She stared up at the sky that was slowly turning a lighter blue, and the low hanging moon. "The night should be over soon, right?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yeah, it should be," Minho said hopefully, trying to read his watch. "Dammit, the lighting's too dim."

"You know the way back though, right?" Lilith asked Minho.

He raised an eyebrow at her, "Of course I do. The maps have all of the variations mapped out, and I remember the maps pretty clearly. This shift should be the B shift. Happens every ten hours." He reached out a hand to help her up, "And anyway, I wanted to ask you something. What did you do to slow down the walls from closing?"

Thomas looked over, gaze curious, "Yeah, I was wondering that too. I mean obviously it's not anything bad, right? I mean, you saved my life."

Lilith nervously wetted her lips, looking down at her hands. "Well," she began, not looking at either boy. "I…" she worried her bottom lip, unwilling to tell them.

Minho's gaze softened, and he gently touched her shoulder, "It's okay, Lilith. We won't hurt you or tell anyone about it if you don't want us to."

Lilith smiled shakily at him, and mustered up her courage, blurting out, "I can use magic."

The two boys blinked at her for a second, uncomprehending. Then…

"What?" Minho demanded, staring at her with disbelieving eyes. "That can't be true! Magic isn't real."

Thomas just gazed at her with wide eyes, and he gasped, "I-I remember!" He pointed at her with a shaking hand, "You can control the time of any object! Like those walls, you're only able to control the time of the walls!"

"Wait, so you two are saying that Lilith here can control time?" Minho repeated, staring at them as if they were suddenly going to say 'April fools!'

"Well, yes, but if I controlled Thomas's time, then I wouldn't be able to control yours," Lilith explained.

Minho just blinked a few more times, before sighing, "It makes sense. Like when you suddenly appeared on my side of our room and punched me in the gut."

She laughed sheepishly, fiddling with a piece of her hair. "Um, so can you guys not tell the others?"

Minho stared at her for a long time, "I'm a Keeper, Lilith. I have a responsibility to the Gladers and to Alby and Newt." He sighed, relenting, "But if you really don't want me to tell anyone, I won't."

"I won't tell either," Thomas chimed in.

Lilith smiled feeling slightly better, "Thanks, guys. And I guess we can tell Newt about it. And Alby. Since he's the leader."

Minho looked a bit uneasy, "I don't know about that. Newt I get, but Alby'll probably just Banish you or something. He's very oriented around keeping things the way it is, and not having much change."

Lilith shrugged, "Whatever suits you. I trust you, Minho."

The sky had brightened considerably, and Lilith laughed aloud, finally feeling the relief and happiness. "We survived."

"We did," Minho said with a smile on his face.

Thomas grinned, "We made it through the night."


	6. Part One: Chapter 6

**Here's another chapter! I hope you enjoy and please leave a review! Let me know how it is, and anything I should change.**

 **Also, PAIRINGS! Any ideas for slash pairings? You know, to keep it realistic. Thirty something guys stuck in a Maze together for three years with no girls... There's bound to be homosexuality. So, any ideas for pairings? Come on, don't be shy! I'll consider all suggestions.**

 **ENJOY! (I'm totally not high on sugar right now... hehehe)**

Chapter Six

Brian stood in front of the Gates, staring at it as if could tell him whether or not Lilith was alive or not. He knew though that she had to be dead. No one could survive a night in the Maze. "Why did you do this to me, Lilith?" Just imagining her death hurt him more than any other thing. He had proclaimed to her that death no longer hurt him, for he expected it. They were helpless in this place. If the Gates suddenly decided to stop closing, they would be massacred by the Grievers. Death was unpreventable. However, his heart still throbbed sorrowfully as he imagined never being able to see Lilith's fiery red eyes glow with passion and determination, never see her smile, never hear her laugh again. He thought he had become immune to seeing his friends die. He didn't even shed a tear when he buried Nick, his closest friend and sixth body. But now, his heart hurt terribly, and he could feel the tears stinging his eyes.

"Brian, you should get some sleep," Newt's voice called out to him.

Brian turned around to face the second in command, and his lips quirked, "Shouldn't you get some sleep too? You've been standing here for the entire time I've been here."

Newt sighed, and walked up to stand beside him, "I know. We're all worried about them. But we have to face reality. No one survives a night in the Glade."

"But Lilith promised me," Brian said sorrowfully. "She promised that I wouldn't have to bury her, or cross off her name on the wall."

"That's what Ben said, that's what Nick said. They said they'd be fine. They promised they wouldn't leave us," Newt said harshly. "Promises aren't meant to be kept. They're empty."

Brian pressed his palm against the wall, "But… she said-"

"Let it go, Brian," Newt said softly. "It's no use to cry over them. It's not going to bring them back."

"The Gates should be opening in a few minutes," Brian whispered, clinging to the hope that Lilith's empty promise gave him. "Maybe they're still alive. Maybe-"

"Don't expect too much. Even though Minho's there, what can he do against a Griever?" Newt said sharply, shooting another hole into the Keeper of the Baggers' hope.

With a loud rumble, the Gates began to open. Brian stood there, fists clenched and heart heavy with hope. He tried to brace himself, but couldn't help the fact that he still hoped.

"They're not there," Newt said, a tinge of grief tainting his voice. "They're dead." Minho, one of his best friends, the one they all thought would survive the longest, was dead.

Brian felt his heart shatter in pieces when he took in the sight of an empty Maze corridor. Lilith had broken her promise. The girl that had somehow managed to worm her way into his jaded heart had destroyed it. They were dead. He now had to cross of not only Lilith's name, but Thomas's and Minho's too. He turned his back on the Maze, blinking away the tears. "I'll go scratch out their names," he said hoarsely.

"Yeah," Newt said softly, voice choked up.

Suddenly, they heard something. Pounding footsteps and heavy breathing. Brian whirled around, not daring to hope again. His grey eyes widened, and he let out a shout of disbelief, "They're alive!"

Newt stared, "What the shuck? How did they survive?"

The three Gladers staggered through the Gates, collapsing onto the grass. Everyone there converged on the three, questions pouring from their mouths. Newt shouted over the ruckus, "Everyone, shut up! And calm down!" The second in command turned to Lorenzo, "Hey, can you get a few bottles of water? And maybe some sandwiches." The Cook nodded, and ran off towards the kitchens. Turning to address the three, he asked, "How did you survive? Where is Alby?"

"Shuck, right! We need to go get Alby down from the vines!" Thomas said, pushing himself off the ground.

"The vines? Alby's still alive?" Brian demanded disbelievingly. Alby was stung. He couldn't be alive.

Minho pushed himself into a kneeling position, "He was when we left him there." He gestured at the corridor, "He's somewhere over there. Can some of you shuckfaces go get him? We're a bit tired here."

As Jackson and some other Runners went to retrieve Alby, Winston leaned forward, "Did you guys see a Griever?"

"They couldn't have," Frypan deadpanned. "Otherwise they wouldn't be alive."

Thomas looked up, "We did see a Griever."

"What? How?" Gally demanded, eyes narrowed. "How'd you guys evade it?"

Minho chuckled, managing to still be sarcastic when he felt half dead. He jabbed his finger towards Thomas, "We didn't evade it. This shuckface killed it."

There was a moment of silence. Then…

"You have to be joking!"

"That's not possible!"

"Don't joke about that type of stuff!"

Newt waved his hand, and the others fell silent. He leaned down, looking at Thomas, "You killed a Griever?"

"Yeah," Lilith coughed, failing to push herself from the ground. "He did. Led it straight into this closing corridor, and the walls crushed it to death."

"Lilith, are you okay? You look like you're about to be sick!" Brian rushed forward, taking the fatigued girl into his arms.

"Just ran too much," she choked out, gulping down air as she lay there like a noodle. "Just let me lay here for a few more minutes."

Gally turned to Thomas with a nasty look in his eye, "He broke one of our rules. He needs to be punished. I think one week in the Slammer'll do. Even a bit merciful, if you ask me."

Minho exploded in shock and fury, "You slinthead! Do you even know what you're saying? This shank just saved Alby, Lilith and I! And you're saying he needs to be punished? He should be rewarded for being brave! For running out there to try to help us!"

Gally stared at the Keeper with hard eyes, "We have to uphold the rules."

"I agree," Lilith said weakly. Minho and Thomas turned to stare at her with betrayed looks. "Obviously we have to thank Thomas for saving our lives, but we still have to uphold the rules. Otherwise this place would turn to chaos. Meaning that his punishment should be light, but there should still be a punishment."

Newt looked thoughtful, "That's reasonable. We should still have a Gathering about this. Not just on Tommy, but on the dead Griever." He turned to Minho, "Do you remember where the Griever died?"

"Yeah," Minho said, nodding. "I'll go check it out after I get some rest."

"After you go check it out, we'll have that Gathering," Newt decided. He looked at the three Gladers' beaten up bodies, "Let's get you three to the Med-jacks."

* * *

"I thought you'd died," Brian admitted, sitting on a chair at Lilith's bedside. "I thought you'd broken your promise. I was going to scratch out your names."

"I don't break my promises," Lilith said, smiling as she lay on the bed. Clint and Jeff told her to refrain from any strenuous activity due to her injured and overexerted muscles. "I never break them. That's a promise."

Brian smiled, "Well, you certainly did prove to me that the Grievers can be defeated. We just have to find a way out of here."

"Maybe the dead Griever'll tell us something," Lilith said, shrugging. She turned to address Minho, who was also lying on one of the cots in the Med-jacks' hut. "Can I go with you to check it out?"

"Clint and Jeff just said you couldn't do anything strenuous," Minho deadpanned, voice a bit strained. There was something unreadable in his eyes as he stared at Brian. "Don't worry, you'll probably be at the Gathering since you were with us when the Griever died, so you'll know everything by the end of it."

* * *

Minho was right, and she was invited to the Gathering. Well, more like carried there by Brian, after her failed attempt to stand up. "Lilith! Are you okay?" Minho said in alarm, rushing over to her.

Lilith grinned up at him, as Brian carried her bridal style, "Yeah, I'm fine. My muscles are really torn up though."

Minho's face was a blend of concern and an emotion akin to irritation, though it didn't seem to be aimed at her. "Well, I hope you feel better. You still want to continue Running, right?" he asked hopefully.

Lilith nodded enthusiastically, "Of course! You really think last night would change my mind?"

Minho smiled, and returned to his chair. Newt called for everyone present at the Gathering to quiet down. He stood at the front, exuding the presence of a true leader, "We're gathered here to discuss the punishment of Thomas, the Greenie. We've had three suggestions! One, from Gally, the Keeper of the Builders, to punish Thomas for breaking the rules, and he suggests a week in the Slammer! The second option is voiced by Lilith, a newly made Runner and former Cook. She believes that Thomas should be punished for breaking the rules, but the punishment should be light as he did save Alby, Minho and her lives. And lastly, the third made by Minho, the Keeper of the Runners. He suggests that Thomas should not be punished, but rewarded due his bravery." _Or stupidity,_ Lilith thought, with a small smile. "Gally. You're first."

Gally stood up, eyebrows arched as always, "The rules need to be upheld! The Greenie broke one of the rules that are essential to our survival! If he isn't heavily punished, other shanks will start to think they could also run out into the Maze whenever they wanted." He smiled nastily, "He might seem special and all, but that doesn't mean we're going to go soft on him. He needs to be punished."

The other Keepers murmured between themselves, some voicing dissent and others in agreement. Newt raised a hand, "Quiet down, quiet down. Well said, Gally. Lilith? You up for talking?"

Lilith nodded, "I just can't stand, as pathetic as that may sound. Sorry."

"No problem," Newt said soothingly. "You don't need to stand. Just make sure everyone can hear you."

The girl nodded, speaking loudly and clearly, "I agree with Gally that Thomas needs to be punished. He did break a rule, and like Gally said, that rule is what helps keep all of you alive. Also, punishing him would tell the other Gladers that under most circumstances, the rules should not be broken. If the Gladers started to believe that the rules could be bent, then there would be utter chaos. However, I don't agree with how harsh Gally's suggestion is. Sure he needs to be punished, but he did save me, Minho and Alby. He saved the Keeper of the Runners and your leader. Think about that. If he didn't have the guts to go out there like an idiot, two of the strongest Gladers would be dead. We can't ignore that, and we shouldn't discourage the other Gladers from being brave and selfless. Sometimes, in order to survive, we need to take risks. We need to be brave to the point of stupidity. Punishing him heavily would only serve to push others away from being brave enough to take a risk. He deserves a punishment, but one light enough that sends out both the message that the rules are still to be upheld, and the fact that bravery and taking such risks for others is not bad, depending on the circumstances."

Thomas's gaze was awestruck, and impressed. As was Newt's. The blond haired leader's eyes were slightly wide, and he said, "Very nicely put, Lilith. We should have you here during the Gatherings more often." Lilith just smiled bashfully. "What type of punishment is light enough, Lilith?"

"Oh, well, I guess maybe like, one night in the Slammer?" Lilith shrugged.

Newt nodded, "Okay, great. Minho, you're next. What do you have to say?"

Minho stood, glancing at Lilith with a spark in his eye, "All I have to say is this. That shank ran into the Maze without thinking about how his life might be in danger, just to try to help Lilith, Alby and me. Three people he doesn't even know that well. For three years, I've ran that Maze, and I've never been able to do what this shank had just done. For three years, we followed the rules, and never got anywhere close to our freedom. For three years! And then this shank arrives, and the very next day, he breaks a rule. He broke a rule, yet he also did something that none of us were able to do! He killed a Griever! And that Griever, my friends, is the key to our freedom!" He held up a cylindrical object that glinted in the light, "This is the key!" He stepped forward, eyes filled with intensity. "He did what none of us were able to do. He found a clue to our freedom, while I was content to just try to evade the Griever like we were trained to. And that is why I nominate him for the position of Keeper of the Runners."

The room was stunned into silence. Thomas was gaping in disbelief and shock. Newt's eyes were wide as saucers, mouth open in astonishment. "Minho, what are you saying?" the blond demanded.

"I'm saying what I'm saying," the Keeper said. "This shank had the guts to go out there into the Maze, had the guts to stay in one place to help Alby while I was just itching to run away. Evade. Avoid. That's been our policy for way too long, and it's gotten us nowhere. So with nominating Thomas as Keeper of the Runners, I support the change that he's brought, whether intentionally or nonintentionally."

"That change is what's going to kill us all!" Gally snarled, shouting as he shot to his feet in fury. "The rules might've told us to avoid any problems, but it's kept us alive!"

"No it hasn't!" Brian said loudly, joining the fray. "I've buried six Gladers, and scratched out eight names in the past year or two! Why did they die? Because we only stood there and watched as they struggled to get back to the Glade before the Gates closed! We only stood there, twiddling our thumbs as we cried and wished that there was some way we could save them!" He jabbed a finger in Thomas's direction, "This shank didn't abide to the rules, and save three Gladers from death! We can survive in the Maze. He's shown us that we can. He's given us something we'd lost long ago. Hope."

"HEY!" Newt shouted over the ruckus, before Gally could retort. "QUIET DOWN!" After everyone had settled back down, Newt sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Ok, ok. Let's get to voting if no one else has anything else to say."

Minho raised his hand, "I'm not done yet."

Newt groaned in exasperation at his friend, "Ok, hurry up."

"I realize that not punishing Thomas would leave a bad message about the rules, so I side with Lilith," Minho said, grinning. Lilith blinked, surprised. "But I still think he should be Keeper of the Runners."

Newt raised an eyebrow, "Done yet?" After Minho's nod, he pointed to Frypan, "You can go first."

"I think Lilith's suggestion is the best," the Keeper of the Cooks said faithfully, loyal to his former Cook. "The rules are still rules and need to be upheld, but there's no need to scorn and discourage bravery."

Newt nodded, "One siding with Lilith." After jotting it down, Newt moved on, "Winston, you may speak now."

"I agree with Gally," the Keeper of the Slicers said harshly. "The rules should not be taken lightly, and even if he did save them, what he did should not condone that fact the fact he broke one of the rules that is essential to keeping us alive." Gally gave a nasty smile, eyes gleaming.

One by one, the Keepers voiced their opinions. Frypan, Zart, Clint, Brian and Minho agreed with Lilith. Winston and Henry, the Keeper of the Sloppers, sided with Gally.

"The results are 5 to 2, in Lilith's favor," Newt said, looking at the piece of paper he had jotted everyone's votes. "So Thomas, the Greenie, will be sentenced to one night in the Slammer, and promoted to a Runner."

Gally sent a dirty look to Thomas, unfathomable hatred in his eyes. He glanced at Lilith, but his eyes were softer, "Nice speech, Lilith."

"Thanks, Gally!" she said brightly. "At least we'll always have you here to keep us in line." She looked more serious, "But there are just times when the rules should be broken."

Minho slung an arm around her, "Yeah, Lils. Who knew you'd be able to give such an eloquent speech?"

Gally's face hardened when he saw Minho, "I still don't know what you were thinking with giving up your position to the Greenie. Slinthead." He stalked away angrily, retreating to his seat

Minho's grip on Lilith's shoulders tightened as he stared at Gally's retreating form. Lilith peered up at him, "Why did you say that anyway? You must have known it was impossible."

"Aim high, hit low, ya know?" he said, smirking. "Everyone fell for it. Obviously I'm not dumb enough to think a Greenie would become Keeper of the Runners, no matter what he did. I just proposed it to get people thinking about making him a Runner."

Thomas ran up to them, eyes shining with gratitude, "Thanks, guys! You really made some nice speeches up there."

Lilith grinned at him, "The least we could do since you saved our hides from the Griever."

"Hey, hey!" Newt shouted, waving his arms. "We ain't done here! We still have to discuss what Minho found in the Griever!"

The entire room groaned. "I thought we were done!"

The second part of the Gathering didn't require as much speaking from Lilith's part. She sat there and listened intently. A code for something in Sector 4? Sector 4… She sat up, "Wait. Isn't Sector 4 the sector that I came from? The one with the abyss?"

"It is!" Minho exclaimed. "If we could just find when the Maze shifts to that formation, we could check it out! Maybe it's the way outta here!"

"It has to be. If I entered through there, we could all exit through there," Lilith said with determination. "We should go Run."

"Hell no," Clint broke in, looking at Lilith sternly. "Any more damage to your muscles could make it permanent."

Lilith pouted, crossing her arms, "But, Clint~"

"No," the Med-jack said firmly. "Rest. Let the Greenie and Minho handle it."

Lilith sulked in her seat, pouting. Minho laughed at her, grinning, "Chill, Lils. We'll handle it. You stay and get some rest."

Lilith finally relented, nodding her head reluctantly, "Ok…"

"You can help me cook!" Frypan said excitedly, happy to get his cook back. "Lorenzo and I will always need one more pair of hands in the kitchen."

Lilith smiled, cheered up by her former Keeper's enthusiasm. "Yeah, I'll do my best."

 **A/N So yeah, Brian's becoming more infatuated with Lilith, as is Minho. But of course, Lilith's going to end up with Minho in the end. :)**

 **Leave a review and tell me what you think!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	7. Part One: Chapter 7

**Hello! Another chapter, my dear readers! Please leave a review telling me about what you think of the story so far! Reviews make me very happy!**

 **So, I might have been off about what happened with Teresa, but I don't remember about what happened in the movie... And Wikipedia isn't very clear, so I'm assuming that she isn't in a coma in the movie.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

Chapter Seven

The very next day, Thomas and Minho went off into the Maze first thing in the morning, despite Clint and Jeff's protests. Lilith stayed back, helping out in the kitchen as her muscles healed. She tried to block out Alby's screams as he went through the Changing, "Are all Changings like this?"

"Weren't you here when Ben was Changing too? All Changings are painful," Frypan told her. "Alby will be fine. He's strong," he said, as if trying to convince himself. "He's strong," he repeated.

Lilith chatted idly with Lorenzo, washing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen. "Was it scary? Out there in the Maze?" Lorenzo asked curiously.

She kept scrubbing at the bowl she was holding, "Yeah. It was shucking terrifying. At first, when I was with Jackson, it was fine, but then we got separated, and the Griever was chasing me. The scariest thing ever, well at least until the Gates closed and we were stuck in the Maze. The one good thing though was that we weren't alone. We weren't alone, and I had Minho and Thomas was my comfort and support. If I were alone, I'd be dead."

Lorenzo was silent as he put away the cleaned dishes, contemplating quietly. "Is the exit really in Sector 4 of the Maze?"

"I don't know, but I think so," Lilith said. "Minho and Thomas are going out to check it out now, so when they come back maybe we'll get answers."

Lorenzo looked down, sad, "I don't think I have to courage to go out there. For the one year I've been here, I've only been in the Glade, and in the kitchen. The scariest thing that's ever happened to me is Gally getting drunk. He's a helluva angry drunk."

Lilith smiled at that comment, but nudged her friend soothingly, "Hey, it's ok. If we do find the exit, we'll all escape. You won't be alone. If you have friends with you, you don't need to feel afraid. There's nothing to fear if you're not alone."

The male Cook smiled gratefully, and nudged her back, "Thanks, Lilith. But people are going to die. We can't kill all of the Grievers that come at us."

"Everyone is going to make it," she said with determination. Her eyes glowed red, "I'm going to do my best to make sure everyone gets out of here alive." _Because I can. And I will._

After finishing with the dishes, Lilith went off into the forest again. They were going to find the exit, and they were going to find their freedom again, so she needed to practice her magic as much as possible. Currently, she could only control the time of one object at once. She aimed to at least be able to slow down the time of multiple objects. Maybe not completely stop them, but slow them down.

"One object at a time isn't enough!" Lilith whispered to herself, forcing her magic to expand. "I need to become stronger!"

She could feel her magic spreading out, spreading over a larger distance, but becoming thinner and thinner. "Dammit!" she hissed, pushing out more and more magic. "Come on!"

The trees slowed in their swaying, leaves stilling. Then the blanket of magic snapped, stretched too far and thin. Lilith fell back, gasping for breath.

Just as she was about to continue training her magic, she heard the screeching alarms of the Box arriving. She frowned, narrowing her eyes. Didn't Newt tell her that the Box only came every two weeks with supplies in it, and once a month with a newbie in it? Why was it arriving so early?

She ran out of the forest, towards where the Box was. A crowd of Gladers were already there, all trying to see what the Box was bringing. She tapped Newt on the shoulder, "Hey, Newt, isn't the Box arriving a week or so too early?"

The blond turned, "Oh, hey, Lilith. Yeah, it's arriving way too early. Something's wrong."

The alarms stopped when the Box stopped at the top. Newt stepped forward, as the leader in place of Alby. He leaned down, unlatching the top of the Box and opening it. He was silent for a moment, stunned. "What's in it?" Gally demanded, standing to the side, arms crossed. He'd been sour ever since Thomas was promoted to being Runner, but his attitude was still fairly the same towards Lilith, even though he was irritated with the light punishment Thomas received.

Newt stood up slowly, eyes wide, "It's another girl."

"Really?"

"Another one?"

"Is she cute?"

Lilith pushed her way to the edge of the Box, excited, "Another girl?" She peered over the edge, and gasped, "Teresa!"

"Lilith!" the girl in the Box cried out, all fear draining away as she took in the sight of a familiar face. "Lilith… where am I? Why do I know you?"

"That's good question," Newt said slowly, eyeing Lilith. "How do you know her?"

"I… I don't know," Lilith said, lying. "It's like with Thomas. She feels so familiar, like I've known her for a long time before coming to the Glade."

"Thomas?" Teresa said suddenly, blinking. "I know him…"

Gally interrupted, face contorted in a frown, "See? That Greenie's nothing but trouble-!"

"Gally, slim it," Newt said in exasperation. "We'll just wait for Minho and Thomas to get back. Meanwhile, let's clear out the Box."

They helped the girl out of the Box, and Lilith smiled at her, "It's great to see a female face in this group of brutes!"

"Wait, so besides me, you're the only girl?" Teresa asked in surprise. She grimaced, "Ouch, that must've been brutal."

"Hey, we're not that bad," Brian said, slinging an arm around Lilith.

Lilith snorted, grinning. "Hey, I wanna see if they really sent up a gun," she said, peering over at Gally, who was sending up the stuff from the Box. "Hey, Gally did they send up my gun?"

"They actually did…" Gally said, holding up a rectangular box. "The ammo's in there, I think. You better not kill anyone, Lilith."

Lilith pouted, "I'm not that clumsy or dumb." She opened the box excitedly, and cradled the gun in adoration.

Teresa blinked at her, "Who sent that? And why a gun?"

"Oh, the Creators, the people who made this place, sent that up, and I requested it," Lilith told her. "You can request stuff from them, but I don't think they always send it up… They didn't send up a sound system…"

"What?" Teresa asked, startled. "A sound system?"

"For entertainment!" Lilith explained. "I sing, so I was planning on using the sound system, but it seems that they didn't give it to us…"

Teresa nodded, and then asked, "Do they sent up stuff for us?"

"Oh yeah, they did a few days ago. We can share if they didn't send any up today!" Lilith offered, smiling happily.

Teresa grinned at her, "Thanks!"

"Hey, Newt, check this out," Gally said, holding up two syringes. "It's for treating Griever stings!"

Newt turned around sharply, eyes alight. "Clint, Jeff! Get this to Alby now!" he ordered, handing one of the syringes to the Med-jacks. "To think that the Creators would send up something like this now…" his face grew dark, "If they had sent those up sooner, maybe Ben and the others wouldn't have gone insane…" Brian just patted their leader on the shoulder comfortingly.

"What the shuck?" Gally suddenly shouted, eyes wide as he held a small piece of paper. "Newt, this…" He shoved the paper at Newt.

"What, are the Creators gonna make the Greenie a Runner too?" Newt said, smiling. His smile slipped off his face as he stared at the paper.

"What does it say?" Brian asked, frowning at their leader's dark expression.

Newt read aloud slowly, "She's the last one. Ever."

They were silent for a moment. "What does that mean?" Zart said, voice tinged in fear and confusion.

"She's the last Greenie," Newt said, still in shock. "The last one…"

The Gladers exploded into a frenzy of panic and fear, ignoring Newt's attempts to regain order. Teresa and Lilith exchanged looks, sighing in unison, "Boys…" Lilith held up her gun, making sure to aim towards the sky and not any of the Gladers. She pulled the trigger.

BANG!

All of the Gladers immediately shut up, turning to stare at Lilith. "We can't panic now," she said. "And listen to Newt. He's your leader right now, isn't he?"

Newt nodded at her, "She's right. We can't afford to panic. The Greenie might be last one, but they didn't say anything about not sending the Box up with supplies. We'll be okay."

"I'll give her the tour," Lilith volunteered. "You should check on Alby, since the Creators sent us that syringe thingy."

Newt looked obligated to stay, but then relented, eager to go check on his friend, "Yeah, I'll go check on Alby then. Don't get into trouble, Lilith!"

Lilith chose to pretend she didn't hear Newt's last comment, and turned to her new female friend. "Let's get going then! So, the first place is the Gardens!" she said, gesturing the expanse of crops. "The Keeper of the Trackhoes is Zart!" she pointed to the boy who was working in the fields. "Not much really to explain, since it's pretty self explanatory."

Teresa nodded, and then nudged her, "So, I've been wanting to ask about your relationship with that guy, the one with those grey eyes." Teresa's blue eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Eh? Brian?" Lilith asked for confirmation. "Oh, we're best friends!"

Teresa raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Just best friends?"

"Yup!" Lilith said cheerfully, not understanding Teresa's implication. "What else would it be?"

Teresa just laughed, "Nevermind. What about you and Thomas?" This time, her tone was more serious and inquiring.

"Just friends too," Lilith seemed to understand. She grinned at Teresa, nudging her, "Jealous?"

"What?!" the other girl spluttered. "No! I don't even remember what he looks like!"

Lilith pointed out the Bloodhouse to her before saying, "I remember. I remember you and Thomas. We were talking about something, but it's not clear what we were talking about."

Teresa gazed at Lilith for a few moments, then growled in frustration, "I can't remember anything! It's so damn annoying!"

"At least you know your name," Lilith said. "When I got here, I wasn't able to remember my name for five hours."

"That must've been terrible," Teresa sympathized. "So what do you do?"

Lilith smiled proudly, "I'm a Runner! But I hurt my leg muscles, so I'm working as a Cook for the next few days until my legs heal."

"Runner?"

"We explore the Maze," Lilith explained. She pointed towards the opened Gates. "That's the entrance to the Maze. One of the most important rules in the Glade is that no one is allowed to go into the Maze unless you're a Runner."

"Why?" Teresa asked, eyeing the Maze curiously.

Lilith looked back at the empty corridor, "Because of the Grievers. I think Newt's going to show you the Grievers tomorrow morning. That's what he did for Thomas anyway."

* * *

"Newt, how's Alby?" Lilith asked as she approached the blond boy. "Did the cure work?"

Newt looked up, relief clear on his face, "Yeah, he's better now. But he keeps saying that he wants to talk to Tommy."

"Hmm," Lilith said curiously. "Anyway, I need to tell you something." _I should tell him about my magic._ "It's about what happened two nights ago."

Newt looked up, blinking, "Okay. Where do you want to talk?"

They walked into the forest, with Lilith leading. When they stopped, Newt looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "What do you want to talk to me about?"

"You know how we said that Thomas lured the Griever into the corridor that crushed it?" she asked. When Newt nodded, she continued, "Well, he didn't exactly lure it in… It was chasing him, and the corridor they were in started to close. He couldn't have made it without being crushed to death himself."

"What are you saying?" Newt said, eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"

Lilith took a deep breath, and said, "Thomas survived that night because the walls slowed down. And the walls slowed down because I slowed them down using magic." She looked at Newt, "I can manipulate time."

Newt stared at her, "What? That's not possible. Lilith-"

"It's true," she said earnestly. She pointed to the small pig that she had nicked from the Bloodhouse to practice on. It ran around, in a small pen that she had made that was covered skillfully by a bush. She held out her hand, and the piglet stopped in it's tracks. She slowly loosened her grip on the pig, and it started to move, albeit very slowly.

Newt stared, stunned. "Lilith, you-What? But… that's impossible!" He stared at the pig disbelievingly.

"I can control the time of any object, as long as it's only one," Lilith explained. She looked at him, "Don't tell anyone else. Please."

He stared at her for good few minutes, before sighing, "I won't tell, but shuck, Lilith, this is crazy! You could help us get out there if we find the exit! You could-"

"Yeah, I know," Lilith said, suddenly tired. "I know."

* * *

"We found it!" Thomas shouted with excitement. Minho was right behind, grinning like a loon. "We found the exit!"

Newt jumped up, eyes wide, "Really? That's great! Is it in a specific shift?"

"Yeah," Minho said, face shining with happiness. "Shift D. The one that occurs every three days. So we'll have to wait three days until we can get out."

Lilith and Teresa ran up to them. Lilith grinned, "Great! Oh, and this is Teresa, the new Greenie!" She grinned at Thomas, "You're no longer the Greenie!"

"Another Greenie? And a girl too?" Minho said, frowning suddenly. "That's early."

Thomas and Teresa stared at each other for a few moments, before Teresa said softly, "Thomas. I feel as if I've missed you, and I've known you for a long time."

Thomas looked at her longer, "You feel so, _so_ familiar. But I just can't place where I've met you! This is so frustrating!"

Minho patted his fellow Runner on the shoulder, "It's ok. We all know how it feels." He stretched out his muscles, "Let's go get some food. There's going to be a welcoming party tonight or what?"

"Ooh, I'll sing!" Lilith said excitedly. She glanced at Teresa, "Hey, can you sing? Cause if you can, we can do a duet!"

Teresa perked up, "Singing? Sure! That'd be fine! But shouldn't we practice together before performing?"

"Oh right, practice," Lilith said thoughtfully. Teresa facepalmed.

Newt looked up, "Speaking of oh rights, Tommy, Alby wants to talk to you."

As the boys walked off to talk to Alby, Lilith and Teresa started to practice. "Hey, I can harmonize, if you want to be the melody," Lilith offered.

"Oh, I'm not too great at harmonizing…" Teresa said apologetically.

The other girl shrugged, "That's fine! I love harmonizing! What song do you want to do?"

"This is weird. I can remember songs and stuff from before the Glade, but I just can't remember anything personal," Teresa huffed, frowning. She mulled over her options, before saying, "Ooh, let's do A Thousand Years by Christina Perri."

Lilith laughed aloud, nudging her friend teasingly, "Already confessing to Thomas? So bold, Teresa!"

Teresa joined in the laughter, face slightly flushed, and grinned at Lilith mischievously, "What about you? Any boys to dedicate the song to? Like Minho?"

"Minho?!" Lilith exclaimed loudly, eyes wide. Her face turned red, as she fidgeted, "Well, he… I mean… Yeah… I guess…"

Teresa whooped, eyes alight, "I knew I could get you to confess! It was either him, or that boy, Brian!"

"How can you tell?" Lilith said, mouth agape. "You've only seen Minho once!"

Teresa winked, "My feminine powers. Just by the way Minho looked at you, and the way you looked at Minho, I could immediately tell. It's obviously not love, since you guys have only known each other for a week or so, but I can definitely tell it's more than a simple crush!"

Lilith froze, "Wait, so Brian… He likes me that way?"

Teresa gazed at her, "You don't like him that way?"

"He's like a brother to me," Lilith said softly, suddenly feeling terrible. "Shuck, now I feel terrible!"

Teresa patted her shoulder, "You'll be okay. If he truly loves you, he'll let you be with whoever makes you the happiest."

"But that makes me feel so selfish!" Lilith cried out. "I don't want to hurt him."

Teresa was about to say something, before Frypan ran over to them, eyes wild with fear. "Lilith! Greenie! We have to get to the Homestead!"

Lilith straightened, "What happened? Is everything alright?"

Frypan stared at her with terror, "The Gates aren't closing!"

 **A/N Please leave a review! If there's something that seems off or weird, please tell me so I can try to fix it! Thanks!**


	8. Part One: Chapter 8

**So instead of changing this story, I will be posting a new story on WattPad, still called Keeper of the Gladers, that has the new pairings of Minho x Thomas and Brian x Lilith x Newt. My username is Euclid161, and I hope you guys check it out!**

 **This story will remain Minho x Lilith.**

Chapter Eight

They were all crowded together in the Homestead, terrified and confused. "What's happening?" Teresa cried out in fear. "What's going on?"

"I don't know!" Lilith whispered. "We need to find Newt and the others. Maybe they have a clue of what's going on."

They pushed through the crowds of Gladers, trying to find Minho, Newt, Thomas and Brian. "Lilith!" Brian called out, voice hushed, "Thank goodness you're safe."

Lilith sighed in relief, but still felt discomfort as she remembered what Teresa had said to her. "What's going on? Why aren't the Gates closing?"

"No one knows why the Gates aren't closing. Of course, there's Gally who's spouting conspiracy shit about the new girl and Thomas," Brian said seriously. There was fear in his eyes, his expression and voice. "No matter what anyone does though, there's nothing to keep the Grievers out."

"Where's Minho, Newt and Thomas?" Lilith asked, heart beating rapidly.

Brian pointed over to a corner, "Over there. I'll stay here with my Baggers."

Lilith nodded, "Yeah, be safe, Brian." She quickly walked away, trying to brush off her discomfort. Now was not the time for such unnecessary drama. "Newt!" Lilith hissed, getting the blond boy's attention.

Minho and Thomas who were with Newt turned around as well, both looking relieved that the two girls were safe. "Lilith! Teresa," Thomas said, smiling at the black haired girl.

"Where's Alby?" Lilith whispered, looking around for their leader. "Isn't he all better from the sting?"

"I'm right here, Lilith," Alby said in his low baritone voice. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, the whirring sound of the Grievers rang loud and clear.

The Homestead fell silent, the boys all looking at each other with terror and fear. The suspense was thick in the air, as the Grievers prowled around the Glade, looking for stray Gladers to pick off.

Suddenly, a loud BOOM shook the Homestead, the wooden boards creaking ominously as a Griever threw its body onto the fortified building. Some Gladers let out piercing shrieks, as the fortifications were slowly stripped away.

The sound of wood snapping slapped against their eardrums, and screams filled the air as a metallic tail penetrated into the room, the claw latching onto the nearest unlucky boy. Instinctively, Lilith thrust out her hand, her magic slowing down the tail until it stopped. The boys around it jerked back in shock, but didn't hesitate to wrench the boy away from the Griever.

Not many noticed what she did, but Alby did, along with Minho, Thomas, Newt and Teresa. The looks on Teresa and Alby's faces were priceless, and Lilith would have laughed if they weren't in such a dire situation.

"What the shuck just happened?" Alby demanded, turned around to stare down at the albino girl. When Lilith tried to divert his attention, he snapped, "I'm not stupid, I saw what you did! You reached out a hand, and the Griever stopped!"

Minho nudged Lilith, "Just tell him. If you're willing to save these shanks with your magic, others are going to notice."

"Ok," Lilith sighed. She turned to face Alby and Teresa, "I can manipulate the time of an object, inanimate or animate. But I can only control one at a time."

Teresa and Alby were stunned. "So you can save us," Alby said, staring at her intently.

Lilith shrunk, chest heavy with the burden of being expected to save everyone else. Before she could say anything, Minho stepped in, "Hey, hey, don't pressure her. She can maybe save a few of us, but remember, she can only stop one thing at a time. If there are too many, there's nothing she can do. So don't go placing everyone's lives on her shoulders."

Lilith looked up at him in amazement. It was as if he had just read her mind. "Thanks," she said softly, looking down. "But I feel as if-"

"Even if you do have magic, it's not your responsibility to save us all. There's just things that you can't do, and if people die because you can't do anything, it's not your fault," Minho said sternly. "You can't save the world, Lils."

More Grievers started to break through, snatching unlucky Gladers. Lilith tried to stop as many as she could, but before soon, she had tired herself out.

She cried out in frustration as another boy was taken away right in front of her eyes, "I'm so damn weak!"

"Stop saying that, Lilith!" Newt cried out, shaking her. "If you weren't here, imagine how many more Gladers would have died? You've saved a lot already, so stop hating on yourself!"

Thomas agreed, "You've done everything you can. Like what Minho said, you can't save everyone."

Lilith swallowed, nodding reluctantly. _I have to get stronger though._

* * *

When morning came, and the Grievers left, they realized ten Gladers were taken. Ten dead, and twenty three left.

For the first time since three years ago, the Glade was filled with chaos. Not even Alby's authoritative presence and voice could calm them down.

"We're all going to die!" Gally shouted, eyes wild. He jabbed his finger in Lilith, Thomas and Teresa's direction, "And it's all their fault! It's their fault!"

"Gally, what klunk are you spouting now?" Minho snarled, fed up and protective over Lilith's wellbeing. "It ain't anyone's fault but the Creators! They're the ones who decided to change everything up!"

Gally whirled around to sneer at Minho, "If you weren't so shucking blind with your attraction to Lilith, you'd see that everything started with her! She was the first girl. She was the first to come from the Maze. She was the first-"

Minho had stalked up to him, and ended his sentence with a punch to the face. The Keeper of the Builders fell back, groaning in pain. Minho loomed over him, face twisted into a snarl, "Yeah, she might have started the change, but it's not like she's the one controlling everything! She helped us find a way out. She helped us know that there even was a way out. Lilith gave us hope, you shuckface!"

"How do you know she's not controlling everything?" Gally snarled, getting back on his feet, fists clenched. "I'm not blind nor stupid! I saw what she did last night!"

Gladers had begun to crowd around the two, and someone from within the crowd yelled out, "Yeah! She was controlling the Grievers!"

Gally nodded, staring at Minho. His voice became louder, "She was controlling the Grievers! How do you know she wasn't making them take those shanks?" He stepped into Minho's personal space, getting up in his face, "How do you know she isn't the one who's behind all of this?"

"She was stopping the Grievers from taking those shanks!" Minho yelled, pushing Gally away from him. "She saved a lot of those shanks! They owe her their lives!"

"Oh yeah? If she could save some of them, why not all of them?" another Glader yelled from within the crowd.

"She's tricking us! Making us think that she's a good person by saving some of them, but what about those other ten huh?" Gally demanded. "She didn't save them because she wants to kill them, but also doesn't want to draw suspicion!"

"That's the stupidest klunk I've ever heard," Newt said angrily, as he pushed his way to the front. "If she really wanted to kill them all, she would've just done nothing! None of you would've thought that she would be able to control them if she hadn't done anything. Lilith was trying to save every shank she could."

"But then why couldn't she save the other ten?" Gally said hotly. "Why-"

"Because I'm too weak, that's why!" Lilith shouted, eyes flaring a fiery red. "You think you've gotten the whole picture? You haven't! You don't even know what I can do! You think I'm controlling the Grievers? I'm not!" She glared at Gally, "What the hell's your problem? I thought we were on good terms!"

"That was before you did your weird voodoo klunk!" Gally challenged her. "Tell us what you can do, Lilith."

Lilith growled, furious at Gally's betrayal. She said loudly and confidently, "I can control the time of an object."

There was silence.

"You think we'd believe that?" Gally said disbelievingly. He rolled his eyes at her, "It's obvious that you can control the Grievers."

For the first time since she was in the Glade, Lilith felt a hot, burning anger boil to the surface, making her vision hazy. "I've done everything I can to help you guys get out of this hellhole! Don't you think I'm already beating myself up for not being able to save those ten Gladers?" She stalked towards Gally, "If you aren't mature enough to believe that I can control time, and am trying to help you guys out of this place, fine! I can't force you to trust me, but I'll just tell you that everything I've done is for the sake of all of you."

"Why though?" Gally demanded. "Why would you do it for us? You don't even know half of us!"

That was true. Lilith blinked, "Huh. I don't know why. I just feel like it's my responsibility to get all of you out of here." She gazed at the Gladers that surrounded her, "It's just something that I feel like I should do. If I have these powers that can control time, even if it's just for one object at once, I should do whatever I can to help all of you."

"I still don't believe that you can control time," Gally said obstinately. "It's just not possible!"

Lilith sighed, "Anyone willing to volunteer?" No one stepped up. "Come on, guys. My power is to control time, not make you blow up or anything."

Winston stepped forward, "What do you want me to-" His entire body froze as Lilith exerted her magic over him.

She turned to Gally, "Enough proof?"

The Gladers stared at her, some horrified, some in awe and others just stunned. She released Winston. "-do?" Winston finished. He blinked once, and then balked when he realized that she was in a different position, "Wait, when the hell did you get there?"

"Huh," Lilith mused, in surprise. "I guess when I stop time, I don't stop it for just your physical body, but for your mind too. That's interesting."

"Now that we've cleared everything up, and there are no important secrets anymore," Alby said loudly, stepping forward. "I am calling a Gathering, to discuss how to survive for the next two nights. Your Keeper will inform you of the plan after we are finished."

* * *

"Lilith," Newt called after her retreating form. "Hey, you're coming to the Gathering."

She turned, blinking, "Why? I'm not a Keeper."

Newt stared at her for a few minutes, then facepalmed, "Lilith. You just told everyone in the Glade that you can control time, and you feel an absurd obligation to bring everyone out of here. Of course you're coming to the Gathering!"

Lilith blinked, "Oh, okay. But Teresa and I were planning on performing a duet for you guys."

"Why? There's no time for that!" Newt said frantically.

The girl frowned, "I think it makes sense. It's relaxing, and you guys can forget about everything for a while. You guys should take a break. Stressing out the entire day isn't healthy, and after a break, your brains'll be more active and stuff."

Newt sighed, "You guys can practice after we're done."

"Okay, I'll just go get Teresa then," Lilith said, turning around to go find her friend.

The blond boy hastily grabbed her wrist, "Wait, what do you mean you're going to get Teresa? The Greenie's not invited to the Gathering. Only you are."

"But I'm going to tell her everything anyway. I get that you guys aren't letting everyone come because that'll be too chaotic, but she's only one person and a girl too," Lilith reasoned.

Newt blinked, "What was that last reason?" He shook his head, and relented, "Fine. Go get her, and hurry up! We don't have time to waste!"

"If only I had the power to just stop time around us, and our time," Lilith said quietly to herself. "And then we'd have all the time in the world."

After fetching Teresa, the two girls entered the Gathering, and sat down next to Thomas. Alby stood up, clearing his throat. Once the room was silent, he began, radiating a heavy authoritative aura, "I call this Gathering to discuss survival plans for the next two nights. As you all know, the Gates are no longer closing, and for twelve hours, we are at the mercy of Grievers." He looked down at a piece of paper, "Our current resources that are available are twenty spears, twenty five knives, three guns with fifteen boxes of ammunition and Lilith."

Lilith flashed two thumbs up, grinning. "Actually, I have a plan in mind," she said, raising her hand.

"Already? What is it?" Newt said, curious.

Lilith held up her sheet of paper that everyone had thought she was doodling on. She pointed to the drawing, "This is the Glade. That thingy there is the Gates, and since that's the only entrance, we can keep track of the Grievers that come in easily. Well, easier at least. And then, every time a Griever arrives, assuming that they come one by one, I can freeze them and you guys can stab the life out of it. If they come in groups… I was thinking maybe the Runners can act as bait."

Minho stared at her, "What the actual shuck, Lilith? You want to make my Runners Griever bait?! What? Shuck no! What if they get stung? Or ripped apart and killed?"

Lilith looked slightly guilty, but she pushed on, a hard look in her eyes, "My magic isn't particularly offensive. It can only stop and slow down things, and maybe speed them up. However, it can't make anything do something it wasn't intending to do. So what I was thinking was that the Runners will lead the Grievers around in a particular pattern. This way, I can stop a Griever in the act of Stinging or something, and then when a Runner brings over another Griever, I can make the frozen one kill that Griever."

Minho still looked furious at the thought of making his Runners Griever bait. Thomas raised his hand, "I'm up for some Griever baiting."

"You have a death wish, so slim it, shuckface," Minho snarled. He glared at Lilith, "You're asking way too much, Lilith. This-"

"I'm not forcing anyone to do this," Lilith said sharply. "But Thomas and I can't do everything, Minho. If we all just hide, it won't be just your Runners in danger, but everyone. I'll admit, forcing the Runners to do this is extreme. So we'll ask everyone for volunteers. If they are willing to do it, then they can. If they don't want to, they can just stay in the Homestead."

"That's a solid idea," Alby said, nodding as he jotted her idea down. "But what if you run out of magic power?"

"I'll be fine. It's my duty to keep all of you safe," Lilith said, seemingly unconcerned.

Gally pierced her with a look, "Don't overexert yourself. We have two nights to survive." Lilith just glared at him, still not forgiving him for his backstabbing. "Lilith, I was just being cautious!" She turned away without a word.

"I still don't get why you're so passionate about getting us out of here," Zart said, eyeing her. "It's not like you're our Keeper."

"But she is," Alby said suddenly, gazing at Lilith. "I remember a few things after the Changing. One of them was Lilith. She protected us from the scientists' more sinister and strange experiments. She protected us, because she could. She was valuable to them with her magic."

They all stared at Lilith, and Gally looked sheepish and guilty, "Sorry, Lilith, for doubting you."

She glared at him for a long moment, before relenting. "It's ok. Just don't do that again. It pisses me off when people don't believe me."

Minho spoke up, getting them back on track, "Well, I guess I'm up for being bait too, so you've got two stupid shanks who have death wishes being bait for you so far."

"I guess I'm a stupid shank then too," Brian said, grinning. "I'll do it too."

Frypan raised a hand, "Wait, what if Lilith loses too much magic power?"

"Then we hide and hope we don't die," Minho said bluntly. "We could always try to stab and gun the shuck out of the Grievers, but without Lilith stopping their time, it'd be way too chaotic. What if a Griever comes up behind you while you're trying to kill or incapacitate another?"

"But how can we guarantee that Lilith and the Griever baits won't be overwhelmed with the sheer number of Grievers?" WInston asked, bringing up a valid point.

"I think the easiest way is to stop them at the entrance, and just kill them off immediately," Lilith said truthfully. "Look, even though I say I can control the time of just one object, I've been training to control the times of more than just one. It's hard, obviously, but I think I've got it. I can't fully stop a hoard of Grievers, but I can slow them down enough for you guys to step in and pick them off one by one."

After Alby resolved the Gathering, Lilith stood up, calling the attention of all the Keepers, "Hey, after lunch, Teresa and I are going to perform a duet! So, just spread the word and stuff."

"A duet? Now of all times?" Winston said in dismay. "It's nice, but should we be wasting our time with entertainment?"

Lilith pursed her lips, sighing in disappointment, "You boys are all so dull. It's not healthy to be so stressed all the time! You need to relax, and have fun! And then focus on the task at hand. Having a break will help us be more alert when the time calls for it."

"She's right," Alby said. "You two should go practice then."

Lilith saluted him, and she and Teresa left for the forest. "Do you still want to do A Thousand Years?"

"I was thinking we should do Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift instead," Teresa said thoughtfully. "It seems fitting. The night will test our determination and will, but the morning's light will bring us safety and hope for another day."

Lilith smiled, "Yeah. Let's hope we all get out of here alive."

"You know, even if we all don't, it's not your fault," Teresa said. Lilith blinked, startled by Teresa's observation skills. The black haired girl rolled her eyes, "Lilith. You might be able to manipulate time, but you can't control everything. Things that are outside of your control will happen, and you just have to pick yourself up and move on. You can't save the world."

The albino girl looked away, sighing, "I know. I know I can't. Thanks for telling me. I'll try to keep that in mind."

* * *

After lunch, the boys congregated at the place where Lilith had sang her first song. "Okay! Guys, Teresa and I will be singing a duet called Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift. We hope that this will give us determination to make it through this night."

They nodded, faces solemn yet excited for the two girls to sing.

Teresa glanced at Lilith, and they smiled. Teresa opened her mouth, sucking in lungful of air.

"I remember tears streaming down your face

When I said, 'I'll never let you go'

When all those shadows almost killed your light

I remember you said, 'Don't leave me here alone'

But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight

Just close your eyes

The sun is going down

You'll be alright

No one can hurt you now

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound

Don't you dare look out your window darling

Everything's on fire

The war outside our door keeps raging on

Hold onto this lullaby

Even when the music's gone

Gone

Just close your eyes

The sun is going down

You'll be alright

No one can hurt you now

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound

Just close your eyes

You'll be alright

Come morning light,

You and I'll be safe and sound…"

 **A/N How'd you like it? Hope you guys review and tell me what you think! And if you ship Minho x Thomas, don't forget to check out my other version of this story on WattPad! Username is Euclid161, and name of story is Keeper of the Gladers.**

 **Adieu!**


	9. Part One: Chapter 9

**Hello! New chapter today, and I hope y'all like it! Please review, tell me what you think so far! This is kinda angsty, and there are some new developments.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter Nine

Sixteen Gladers stood near the Gates, faces determined and filled with anticipation. "You guys don't have to do this," Lilith started off, looking at them with a heavy heart. "This is dangerous, and you can die. A very painful death."

"We know, Lilith," Thomas said. He stood there, gripping a spear tightly, expression a mix of excitement and fear. "This is for our freedom."

"This is for our freedom!" Lilith shouted, eyes ablaze with fiery passion and will. "We will take our lives back from the Creators, and through this, we're gonna tell those fuckers that they can't control us. Not anymore!"

Her declaration was answered with the angry whirring of the Grievers. It was as if the Creators had responded to her declaration. "Let's get them!" Thomas let out a war cry, charging towards the incoming Grievers. The other Gladers followed without hesitation, heads held high with determination.

* * *

"We'll be safe and sound," Lilith whispered, trying to convince herself that they would be fine when morning came.

"Here, Lilith!" Brian shouted as he led his Griever over to where Lilith had stopped Minho's Griever.

"Okay!" Lilith yelled back, getting ready to release her magic. "In one! Two! THREE!"

Brian dived out of the way, as the previously frozen Griever barreled into the one that followed him. There was a high pitched shrieking as the two collided, metal crunching and flesh squelching. He turned around, to nearly vomit at the gruesome picture of the two Grievers entangled in each other.

Lilith staggered back, gagging. "Shuck, that's disgusting," she coughed, wrenching her gaze away from the mess of goo and flesh.

"Come on, Lilith! This isn't the time to be distracted!" Alby shouted, as he ran towards them. "There's too many Grievers!"

Lilith waved a hand, immobilizing Alby's Griever. "It's okay! We've got this!"

There were too many Grievers. A scream resonated through the Glade, and Lilith whirled around, heart dropping. "No," she breathed.

"Anthony!" Brian screamed, running over to his friend. "Anthony! No!"

Lilith swore, "Brian! Stop!" The Griever that had stung Anthony turned on Brian, prowling towards him. She breathed in deeply, bracing herself for what she was going to do next.

With her right hand controlling Alby's Griever, she took her left one and thrust it towards Brian. Lilith screamed as she forced her magic to its limits, pain lancing through her chest. The Griever approaching Brian slowed, giving the Keeper enough time to scramble away.

"LILITH! WATCH OUT!" Minho screamed from behind her. She instinctively ducked, heartbeat skyrocketing as she felt the Griever's tail brush the hair on her head. The claws on the tail stabbed into the ground in front of her, only barely missing her head.

Lilith rolled out of the way and immobilized the Griever that had nearly taken her head off. "One Griever coming up!" Thomas yelled, as he sprinted across towards her.

"On three, Thomas!" Lilith shouted back. "One, two, THREE!"

After another two Grievers were taken care of, Lilith swayed as she straightened, feeling the fatigue settling in. "Dammit," she sighed, staring at her hands that shook with exhaustion. "Why am I so magically weak?"

Thomas ran up to her, brows furrowed in concern, "Lilith, are you okay? Are you running out of magic energy?"

She shook her head, brushing off his concern, and forced herself to stand. "I'll be fine," she lied.

Thomas glanced at her skeptically, "Lilith…"

"I'll be fine!" she snapped irritably. "Go make sure the others aren't being outnumbered. I'll be fine." He continued to look at her, and she pushed him away, "Stop wasting time!"

After Thomas left, Lilith stood straight, trying to conjure up any last dregs of energy. She cursed her weakness and her inability to protect her friends. Seeing Minho run towards her with a Griever hot on his heels, she brought up her hand, forcing her magic out. The Griever slowed, but didn't stop. Lilith gritted her teeth, pushing more and more energy out. The red in her eyes dulled as she felt herself weaken.

Just as she was sure she was going to pass out, an influx of energy rushed through her body, rejuvenating her. Lilith gasped, eyes flaring bright red. "What just happened?" she breathed out in wonder and confusion.

But not one to waste time, she hastily immobilized the Griever. "What happened, Lils?" Minho called out, frowning. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, still in shock. "Somehow, I feel perfectly fine."

"Don't overexert yourself," Minho said, rubbing her back gently. "Be safe, okay?"

Lilith smiled at him, feeling her heart flutter. "You too, Minho. We'll all live to see tomorrow."

* * *

When morning came, only one person had died. Anthony, a Bagger.

"Where's Lilith?" Minho shouted, trying to be heard as everyone started talking, overjoyed that they were alive and safe, protected by their Keeper. "WHERE'S LILITH?"

"Slim it, Minho," Alby called out. "She's right here."

Minho whirled around, eyes widening when he saw that Alby was carrying an unconscious Lilith. "Is she okay? What happened to her?"

"Just exhaustion, I think. She'll be fine after a few hours of rest," the dark skinned leader answered. "Here, get her to the Homestead," he said, handing her to the Keeper of the Runners.

Minho took her and nodded at Alby gratefully, "Thanks, Alby." Once he entered the Homestead, he was assaulted with chaos. "Whoa, hey! What's going on?"

The Gladers parted a way for him, and he narrowed his eyes, confused. "What happened?"

Jeff, one of the Med-jacks, stood up. He looked at Minho, and gestured at the unconscious person on the bed. Minho's heart stopped.

It was Newt.

* * *

 _Where am I? What is this place?_ Lilith wondered, wandering around the beach. "Hello?" she called out, hoping to see someone. "Is anyone here?"

"Lilith?" a familiar voice with a British accent answered her call.

She whirled around, eyes widening, "Newt? What's going on? Where's everyone else? Why are we here?"

"Whoa, Lils, I don't know either," he said, also looking confused. "Last thing I remember is the feeling of being sucked dry of energy last night."

Lilith froze, staring at him, "Wait, so you should be unconscious right now. And if it's only the two of us, I should be unconscious as well. But then, why are we here? I know my magic can't do this, and I'm pretty sure I don't have enough magic to do anything." She stared at him, "Newt, do you have magic?"

"I think I would know if I did," he said slowly. "I've never been able to do this before."

She gazed at him with a calculating gleam. "When did you pass out?"

"In the middle of the night. It was after Anthony was stung," Newt said, trying to recall what had happened.

Lilith's eyebrows furrowed together, "That's really weird… Why would that happen?"

"Why would what happen?" Newt asked, frowning in confusion.

The girl just shook her head, "No, it's nothing. Ignore me."

Newt raised an eyebrow, but let it slide. He turned towards the beach, "Wow, this is certainly a nice change of scenery."

"Yeah," Lilith said, smiling as she toed off her shoes and dug her feet into the sand. "It feels so relaxing and nice. Free of danger." She walked over to the glistening blue water, and knelt down, letting the water run over her fingers. She turned to Newt, who was unsuspecting, and threw the water at him.

He let out a yelp, "Lilith!" and began to chase her across the beach. "Get back here, you little brat!" He laughed, feeling truly happy, happier than he'd ever been since the day he didn't want to live anymore. He stopped, suddenly realizing what was out of place. When he had woken up there, he knew something was off. Something felt missing. And now he realized what was missing.

His limp.

Lilith turned, blinking in wide eyed innocence, "Newt? Are you okay?"

He smiled at her, bittersweet, "Yeah, I'm okay."

Lilith laid down onto the sand, not caring that it became tangled with her hair. "I kinda wish that we could stay here forever. It's so relaxing, and safe… Not need to worry about your life."

Newt nodded, but he sighed bitterly, "We can't stay here though. We'll wake up and then we'll be back in the Glade. At least, I think we'll be back in the Glade."

"Yeah, we need to go back. I need to make sure everyone's safe," Lilith said, remembering her duties to the Gladers.

Newt sat down heavily next to her. He grinned at her, ruffling her hair, "So, you and Minho?"

Lilith blinked once, and then her entire face burned a deep red. "Wh-what do you mean? I mean- uh," she spluttered, looking flustered.

Newt laughed, "You two obviously like each other. No one's blind." He raised an eyebrow, "Although, Brian seems interested too. Lilith, breaking hearts there?"

Lilith's face burned even brighter, "Newt!" She buried her face in her hands, tips of her ears tinted pink as well.

Her friend snickered, "Aw, that's cute. But you got to choose, Lils. Don't give either one of them false hope."

Lilith looked down at her hands, "I feel really bad though, for Brian… I see him like I see you. A close friend and brother. Not a boyfriend."

"So you like Minho that way?" Newt said, a grin lifting the corners of his lips. At Lilith's shy nod, he whooped, "I win! Frypan owes me a pancake tomorrow morning!"

"Wait, you guys _betted_ on who I'd choose?" Lilith demanded, gaping at her blond friend. "What?!"

"Oh well, um, you see…" Newt floundered, trying to placate his furious friend. "It was just a bet, Lils!"

"Who participated?"

Newt blinked, "Oh, um, me, Frypan, Lorenzo, Chuck, Zart and Gally."

"Gally?" Lilith said, blinking in surprise. "Really? I wouldn't expect him to bet on something like this." She peered at him, "Who betted that I'd choose Minho?"

"Surprisingly, only Lorenzo and I," Newt admitted. Lilith raised an eyebrow, and he said, "The others thought you'd get together with Brian because you weren't a Runner. Well, you were, but only for one day, so everyone thought since you'd spend more time with Brian, you'd fall for him, and not Minho." Newt grinned, "But I knew you'd pick Minho, because I'm just that awesome of a friend."

Lilith rolled her eyes fondly, swatting his arm. "Yeah, yeah," she mumbled, unable to hide her smile. She curled up, laying her head on his lap, "Now, shush, I'm going to sleep."

Newt chuckled, and ran a hand through her hair gently. "Rest, little sister."

* * *

Teresa and Thomas entered the Homestead, looking panicked. "How's Lilith? And what's wrong with Newt?"

Clint glanced at him, and replied, "Newt's fine. Vitals are all healthy, and pulse is a little fast, but still normal. The weird thing is, it's like he passed out because of fatigue and exhaustion, but he was just in the Homestead the entire time."

"When did he pass out?" Minho asked, eyebrows furrowing as he thought of a crazy theory. "Was it a few minutes after the first person was stung?"

Jeff raised an eyebrow at him, and nodded, "Yeah, why?"

Minho narrowed his eyes, thinking furiously. It couldn't be, could it? It seemed impossible… But why would it happen? There was nothing between the two of them that would result in such a connection. Right? "How's Lilith?" he asked, leaving his theory to be confirmed later on.

"She's fine, but just like Newt, she's exhausted. I don't think she'll be able to do what she did last night tonight," Clint admitted, looking agitated. "She used too much magic."

The surrounding Gladers looked hysterical. "We're going to die!"

"WE ARE NOT GOING TO DIE!" Alby shouted, hands on his hips, looking authoritative. "We will survive tonight. We will all leave this place tomorrow and find the exit."

"What if it's not an exit? What if it just leads to more Grievers?" Gally demanded. "Lilith said that when she first got here in the Maze, there was a Griever blocking the other door that she assumes is the exit! What if there are more Grievers?" He stepped forward, "Even though Lilith is trustworthy, how do we know that assumed exit isn't some trap full of Grievers that are ready to tear us all apart?"

"We don't," Minho snapped. "We take that risk because if we stay here, we're going to be killed no matter what!"

"But if we stay here, we'll have a chance to survive!" Gally retorted hotly, eyes flashing in anger. "At least here, we can fight the Grievers off!"

Minho laughed mockingly, "A chance? Even with Lilith, people still died last night! No matter where we go in this place, we have a high possibility of being killed! But at least with the assumed exit, there's a possibility that we can escape and regain our freedom. If we stay here, it's guaranteed that we're going to die."

Gally snorted, "I'd rather take my chances here. Maybe it's all an elaborate ruse created by the Creators. Enough of us die, and then the Gates will start closing again. What if-?"

"There's always a lot of what ifs," Alby said harshly. He did not look convinced. "But if we stand and consider all the what ifs, we'll never get out of here."

Gally pursed his lips in disapproval, but did not push the matter. Alby was their leader after all.

Alby sighed, he glanced at all the Gladers still standing around. "Well, go on! We still have to keep our rules. No one slacks off!"

The others grumbled, but obediently went to each of their jobs. Alby raised an eyebrow at Minho, Thomas and Teresa. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Thomas blinked, "Oh, we still have to go Run? I mean, we found the exit and stuff."

"I said no slacking! Even if you don't go Run, at least help around the Glade," Alby said, exasperated.

Minho gazed at Lilith's pale face, "Come on, Alby-"

"I know you want to see if Lilith's ok, but Jeff and Clint's got it," Alby said, sighing. "But I guess if you want to stay, you can."

Minho grinned widely, "Thanks, bruh." Alby rolled his eyes fondly, and shooed Thomas and Teresa outside.

Once they were relatively alone, since Jeff and Clint had gone to the Med Hut to get some supplies, Alby turned to Minho, "Are you okay?" He had seen how Minho's posture had tensed with every one of Gally's questions and skepticisms.

Minho's face turned serious. "I don't know if it's the exit. Maybe Gally's right, and we'll all die. Maybe-"

"Slim it, shank," Alby said harshly, cutting him off. The dark skinned leader's eyes bore into Minho's, "You're the Keeper of the Runners. You represent our hope. Don't you dare give up on us, Minho. Don't you dare, not when we've come this close."

Fury rose in Minho's expression, and he glared at Alby, "Why can't I? I'm just like any one of you! I'm human too! Why can't I feel hopeless?" He turned away from his friend, shoulders shaking slightly.

Alby's expression softened, but he was firm, "We decided on that day that the Keeper of the Runners would always be the one to revive our broken hopes. You agreed, Minho. Of course you can feel hopeless, but never ever let the others know of it." He pierced the Keeper with a sharp look, "Newt and I may be the leaders of this place, but everyone knows you hold the most influence. You hold the key to our survival and escape. Everyone trusts you to run out there into the Maze and maybe one day come back with the answer. Lilith and Thomas have helped you grasp that answer, and you must not let anyone know of your doubt."

Minho inhaled a shuddering breath, and his shoulders stilled. There was a renewed steeliness in his posture. "Yeah, I know. I won't let you guys down."

Alby stared at him, sadness in his eyes, but he didn't say anything. There was nothing he could do to alleviate the burden that they had placed on Minho.

* * *

Lilith woke up. She blinked, and looked around the beach, "We're still here?"

"Yeah," Newt answered, from where he was laying on the soft sand. "I think it's nearing noon. Well, at least in this… place."

She sighed, "I wonder when we're getting back. Or if we're ever getting back…"

"Don't think like that," Newt chided. "We'll see the others again. That's for sure."

Lilith was silent for a moment, before asking quietly, "How were you guys able to survive for three years in that place without knowledge of whether or not you'll be able to escape? What there never was an exit, and you all just died there?"

The blond boy looked at her, pursing his lips, "We live for those who died. We keep living for them, because they died for either our mistakes, or us ourselves. Nick died trying to find an exit through the Box, Max died protecting Minho from a Griever, and Michael taught us that no one could survive a night in the Glade the hard way." Newt's blue eyes were slightly hollow, "But the one person key to our hope is Minho."

Lilith blinked, startled, "Minho?"

"He's the Keeper of the Runners," Newt said sadly. "When we created this semblance of order and society, we decided that the Keeper of the Runners would be the symbol of our hope. He would be the one to rekindle our hope when it faltered, never able to show his own doubts. He's always had to keep it inside, because he knows if anyone else knew of his doubts, our hope would be destroyed. If the Keeper of the Runners himself doesn't think we can survive and escape, what hope would we have? He's the strongest, the fittest, the smartest. Before Minho became Keeper of the Runners, Martin was. But Martin couldn't handle the burden and pressure of having to hold up our hopes, so he killed himself by staying the Maze." Newt stared at Lilith's horrified gaze. "Then Minho was appointed." He sighed, not noticing that the previously clear blue sky had turned dark and stormy, the shadow created by the clouds dark and somber. "The Runners themselves hold a sliver of our hope, since they're the ones who run out into the Maze to find out if there is an exit. The Keeper though, is the key."

"So Minho's had to bottle in all his doubts and despair for all these years?" Lilith demanded, horrified for her friend's well being.

"He's always been able to talk to Alby and me," Newt said softly. "But he rarely does. Thinks that he has to keep up the strong, tough exterior. He thinks he can't show any weakness." Newt looked at her pleadingly, "Don't break his heart, Lilith. He needs you."

Lilith swallowed, and a drop of water fell onto her hand. She blinked, before noticing that it had started to rain. "It's raining!"

"Oh shuck, we should go find some shelter," Newt said, cursing. The two of them scrambled up, and ran towards the forest. "Don't get lost, Lils."

"I won't," she said, running after him.

* * *

"Alby?" Teresa asked, tapping the dark skinned leader on the shoulder. "Hey, can I sing another song after lunch?"

"By yourself?" Alby said with a raised eyebrow. "Well, why not?"

She grinned, "Thanks!"

Teresa ran out of the Homestead, meeting with Thomas. "I'm singing today!"

Thomas raised an eyebrow, "Without Lilith?"

"Yeah," Teresa said, slightly sad. "It'd be better if she was conscious and able to sing with me, but I think the song I want to sing will help raise your spirits!"

Thomas smiled softly at his friend, "I can't wait."

* * *

"Even though Lilith isn't awake yet," Teresa started as she walked in front of the Gladers, "I'll be her substitute and sing a nice song for you guys. It's called Keep Holding On by Avril Lavigne."

She opened her mouth, hoping this song would reignite everyone's hopes.

"You're not alone

Together we stand

I'll be by your side

You know I'll take your hand

When it gets cold

And it feels like the end

There's no place to go

You know I won't give in

No, I won't give in

Keep holding on

'Cause you know we'll make it through

We'll make it through

Just stay strong

'Cause you know I'm here for you

I'm here for you

There's nothing you could say

Nothing you could do

There's no other way when it comes to the truth

So keep holding on

'Cause you know we'll make it through

We'll make it through

With you by my side, I will fight and defend

I'll fight and defend

Keep holding on

'Cause you know we'll make it through

We'll make it through

Just stay strong

'Cause you know I'm here for you

I'm here for you

There's nothing you could say

Nothing you could do

There's no other way when it comes to the truth

So keep holding on

'Cause you know we'll make it through

We'll make it through

Hear me when I say, when I say I believe

Nothing's gonna change

Nothing's gonna change destiny

Whatever's meant to be will work out perfectly

We'll make it through."

 **A/N They're gonna make it through! Or will they? O.o O.o**

 **Lol, well, if you've read the books or seen the movies, obviously some of them make it through.**

 **Hope you like this chapter, and please leave a review or something! :)**


	10. Part One: Chapter 10

**A/N Hey guys! I hope you like this chapter! It doesn't really go along with canon though...**

 **And the word count's the the best... :(**

 **I hope I'll get out a better chapter next time...**

 **Well, enjoy!**

Chapter Ten

"It's night," Lilith said in concern. She glanced at Newt, "The Grievers should be arriving in the Glade." She paced back and forth in worry, "I should be there helping them right now!"

"It's no use worrying," Newt said bluntly. He patted her shoulder soothingly, "Just relax. You used a lot of magic last night, so you need rest." Lilith sulked, continuing to pace. Newt sighed, and then grabbed her shoulders gently but firmly, stilling her. "Stop pacing, Lils. You're making me nervous too."

She looked sheepish, chuckling lightly, "Hehe, sorry."

"It's okay. Here," he opened his arms to her for a hug. With little hesitation, she rushed to him, relaxing into his comforting embrace. "They'll be okay. They know how to survive."

Lilith nodded, even though she wasn't convinced. "Be safe," she whispered, praying to God that Minho, Thomas, Teresa, Brian and all of the others would be safe when morning came. They just needed to keep holding on for a few more hours, and freedom would be within their grasp.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Glade, Lilith and Newt's bodies were safely stowed away in the Slammers, and the others found shelter in the Homestead. Grievers prowled around, plucking up unfortunate Gladers who either made an unlucky choice of shelter or was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Screams rang out through the Glade from time to time, striking deep into those who were temporarily safe in the Homestead. But obviously, they felt relieved that the grievers had not yet found them.

That relief was short lived, for not even a few moments after, they heard the heavy thud of the Grievers flinging their heavy bodies against the wooden planks of the Homestead. The thinner boards cracked and snapped under the assault, and the metal tails penetrated through their fortifications, snapping at the Gladers inside.

It was just their luck to be right under the weaker defenses on the Homestead. Thomas, Minho and Alby threw themselves down onto the ground, the pincers just missing them by a few centimeters. Chuck however, was not as quick to react. The metal pincers clamped onto his middle, dragging him out of the Homestead. Thomas lunged forward, grabbing onto Chuck's flailing arms and tugging him away from the Griever. It's hold didn't relent, and Chuck shouted in pain as the metal chafed at his skin roughly.

"Just hold on a bit longer, Chuck!" Thomas shouted, pulling him away with all his might.

Minho latched his hand onto Chuck's arm, also pulling. The Griever let out an annoyed whine, pincers clamping even tighter onto the poor boy's middle.

Seeing that the Griever would eventually take Chuck, Alby grabbed a large piece of wood that fell from the broken planks, hacking away at the tail. With a loud snap, the tail snapped in half, and Chuck fell forward onto Thomas and Minho.

Thomas looked at Alby, smiling gratefully, "Thanks, Alby."

The dark skinned boy just nodded, chest heaving with adrenaline. They all relaxed, thinking the danger was over for now.

It wasn't.

A Griever's tail snapped into the breach in the fortifications, and snatched the unsuspecting leader. Thomas's eyes widened, and he scrambled to his feet, lunging forward to grab Alby's outstretched arm. "Alby!"

The boy just looked at him, and said softly, just enough for Thomas to hear, "Let me go."

"What? Why? We're all going to get out of here!" Thomas screamed, tightening his grip on Alby.

Alby shook his head, ignoring the pain in his sides, "I don't want to get out of here. The world outside, it's a terrible place. You don't remember, but I do. The Changing and the cure made me remember. Don't make me get out."

Thomas shook his head furiously, "No!"

Alby's face hardened, and with his other arm, he wrenched Thomas away from him. Thomas screamed, "ALBY!" But it was too late, and their leader was sucked away into the depths of night, forever gone.

Thomas fell back horrified, but his mind worked furiously. _The Changing and the cure helped him remember?_ His gaze fell on the needle that the Griever had dropped.

"Alby!" Minho screamed, eyes filled with despair for one of his closest friends. "NO!"

Thomas stared, eyes blank. Teresa shook him, "Thomas! Are you okay?" Said boy turned to look at her, eyes slightly glassy.

He understood what he had to do. He gripped the syringe-like instrument with determination.

"Thomas, NO!" Teresa shrieked, eyes going wide with realization of what he was about to do. "DON'T!"

But she was too late. He plunged the needle of the syringe into his arm, wincing as it pierced his skin.

Thomas screamed, loud and clear, as the syringe emptied its poisons into his bloodstream.

"CLINT! JEFF!" Teresa yelled, hoping they had the remaining cure on them.

The Med-jacks came running over, pushing through the crowds of Gladers. The number of Grievers seemed to be diminishing rapidly, to the boys' amazement. Without hesitation, Clint administered the cure, muttering something about idiots and death wishes.

* * *

Minho stood at the front of the room, pursing his lips as the Keepers chattered away. "EVERYONE, SLIM IT!" he shouted, patience wearing thin. He glared at the now quiet Gladers, "Stop acting like children! We need to focus. Today, at one o'clock, the Maze will be shifting to reveal the exit. No matter what happens, we need to leave at one."

"What about Lilith, Newt and Thomas?" Brian demanded, eyes filled with worry.

Minho sighed, "We'll have to carry them or something. Obviously we can't leave them here, but we're not going to stay here for another three days."

Gally narrowed his eyes, and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Jeff burst into the room. "Guys, guess what?"

The Keepers all turned around to stare at the Med-jack. Clint frowned, "Jeff, you don't just come barging into a Gathering like this!"

"Well, he did tell us there was a Gathering, but we told him it would be fine to barge in like this," a new voice said in amusement.

Minho's eyes widened, "Newt! Lilith! You're all awake!"

Newt grinned at them, "What'd I miss?" He looked around, and then frowned, "Where's Alby?"

The atmosphere of the room thickened and darkened. Minho looked away, heart clenching in grief for one of his closest friends. "He's dead. He didn't make it last night."

Newt and Lilith froze. Newt, being the one who knew Alby longest, staggered forward, eyes wide. "Alby… dead?" he breathed out in disbelief. He stared at Minho who looked back at him sadly. Newt swallowed, inhaling sharply. He stood straight, and Lilith could see the steely strength inside of him as he looked at the Keepers with an iron-like determination. She could see that he knew what was most important, and that he was strong enough to fight the grief that seemed to nearly overwhelm him. "It's going to be alright," he said firmly. "We're not going to let their deaths be in vain." Glancing back at Minho, he inquired, "Anything else happened last night?"

Brian answered for the Keeper of the Runners, "Thomas Stung himself."

"Say what now?" Lilith demanded, blinking in shock. "He Stung himself?" She glanced at Minho with concern in her eyes, "Is he okay?"

Minho breathed in, "Clint and Jeff had the cure in hand, so he should be fine. We just have to wait until he wakes up. But if he doesn't wake before one, we're going to have to carry him out of here."

Newt nodded, and looked around the room, "We're going to have to make preparations. Pack food and weapons. We're not going to return to this prison."

Gally pursed his lips, and voiced his dissent, "I still stand by what I said. Right now, the Glade is more secure than the Maze. It's always been more secure. We shouldn't just abandon our safe haven-"

"Are you shucking serious?" Newt demanded, voice filled with anger. "Without Lilith, ten people died last night! We would not be able to survive another three days! This place is just as safe as the Maze now, since the Gates are no longer closing. I know it feels safer since we've been here for three years, but it's just a deathtrap now!" Newt clenched his jaw after seeing Gally's unconvinced and he said stiffly, "If you want to stay, fine. I'm not going to get on my knees to make you leave with us. But know that your blood is not on my hands." He glanced at Lilith's pale face, "And neither is it on hers."

Gally's gaze softened when it fell on Lilith. He looked apologetic, "Lilith, it's not that I don't trust you, it's just that you don't know if it's an exit. It could be the place where the Grievers stay for all we know!"

Lilith stared at him for a few moments, before sighing and turning away. "Do what you want," she said softly. "I can't force you to do anything, Gally, but I hope you consider coming with us."

* * *

At ten o'clock, Thomas woke up. The minute his eyes opened, the other people in the room converged on him, flooding him with questions. Clint growled angrily, shooing them away. "I'm the Med-jack here!" the boy had shouted at them.

Clint turned to Thomas, "Are you okay? Dizzy, nauseous, anything?"

Thomas swallowed, said raspily, "Just thirsty." He gratefully accepted the cup of water Clint shoved into his hands. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah, Lilith and Newt already woke up. Why the hell did you Sting yourself? I think Minho's right about you having a death wish," Clint said, rolling his eyes.

Thomas grinned sheepishly, "I can't say he's wrong. Can they come back in now? There's something I need to tell them."

Clint rolled his eyes again, but his lips were curved into a smirk, "Sure, sure." He turned around, "Hey, guys! You can come back in!"

Clint hadn't even finished talking before they ran into the room. Teresa sat down on the chair by Thomas's bedside. "Are you okay? Why did you Sting yourself?"

Thomas's expression sobered, and he said solemnly, addressing the blond leader, "Call a Gathering, Newt. There's a lot to talk about."

* * *

"Wait, so you're saying that you have your memories back now?" Newt said incredulously. "And Alby also got his memories back, but would rather die than leave this place?" His expression was doubtful, and there was a hint of uncertainty.

Gally let out a crow of triumph, taking in the now uncertain gazes of the other Keepers, "I told you so! There's something out there that even Alby didn't dare face. Think about that."

Lilith looked away, clenching her jaw. She stared at Thomas, "What do you remember?"

"Well, I remember why our names are our names," he said thoughtfully.

Newt facepalmed, "That's so useless."

"Hey!" Thomas protested, pouting. "It's important to know why they named us and what kind of role we might have." Minho nodded in support of him, and Thomas continued, "Newt, you're named after Isaac Newton. I'm named after Thomas Edison, and Alby's named after Albert Einstein." He looked thoughtful, "Oh yeah, Gally's Galileo Galilei."

"What about me?" Minho asked curiously.

"I don't know. There was a Korean rapper with that name…" Thomas said uncertainly. Minho sulked, disappointed.

"What about me?" Lilith asked eagerly. Thomas blinked, and looked reluctant to tell her. Lilith peered up at him, "Thomas?"

"Your name, Lilith," Thomas said softly, reluctantly, "is the name of the mother of all demons."

Lilith blinked, "What?"

"Your namesake was the first wife of Adam, and the mother of all demons," Thomas repeated.

The other Keepers all stared at him in disbelief. Newt snorted, "Lilith? Mother of all demons? She's far from a demon, Thomas."

"I didn't say she was! I'm just telling you what I remember," Thomas defended himself.

Sighing, Newt continued, "Well? What else do you remember? We'll consider the names later. Do you remember anything about the exit or the Maze?"

"I remember," Thomas said quietly. "And I remember why Alby refused to leave."

Everyone went quiet, anxious yet eager to hear why.

"It wasn't because of the Maze or what's in the exit, which is an exit by the way, but of what's happened to the world outside of this place," Thomas said truthfully.

"What do you mean by that? What happened?" Brian asked, truly puzzled.

Thomas shook his head, "I, I can't."

"See! This is why we shouldn't leave!" Gally shouted, over the murmurings. "If the outside world is so terrible that this shank can't even describe it to us, why the hell should we leave?"

Thomas looked away, "It's not about safety. In this place, we'll eventually be killed off by the Grievers. There is no future in this place. However, out in the world, we have freedom. We won't be controlled by the Creators. By _WCKD._ We'll be free, and able to create our own future."

Gally snorted derisively, and other Keepers seemed to agree. Lilith rolled her eyes, "It depends on what you want. In this place, you're gonna die. That's the blunt truth. You're going to die. So do you want to live in the pretense of being safe and then die in captivity? Or do you want to take risks and face the dangers in the world outside with the chance of survival and your own free will? That's your choice. Not mine, Thomas's, Newt's nor Minho's." Her patience had finally worn thin. "No matter what, the four of us," she gestured at the four of them, "Brian, Chuck and Teresa are going to leave this place. With or without you."

Frypan stood, "I'm going with you. No sense staying here anyway."

Thomas stared at the rest of the Keepers, with frustration in his eyes. He gritted his teeth, and turned to face the ones who would leave with him, "We'll meet at the Gates at one. Bring food, clothes and weapons." They all nodded, heading for the door.

Before they could all leave, Lilith addressed the entire room, voice heavy, "And before we leave, Teresa and I will sing one last song for you all." A look of grief flashed across her eyes, "We'll be singing When You're Gone by Avril Lavigne."

* * *

Teresa and Lilith stood in the dining area, swallowing down the lump in their throats. Lilith inhaled shakily, staring at the faces that faced her, trying to alleviate the heavy feeling in her chest. This was the end. Finally, freedom was in reach.

But this would be the last time she would see many people, like Gally and his awesome eyebrows. Or Winston and his Slicing. The feeling of finality brought tears to her eyes.

Teresa glanced at her with concern, and Lilith smiled weakly. The two girls opened their mouths, trying to convey their grief and loss in the song.

"I always needed time on my own

I never thought I'd need you there when I cry

And the days feel like years when I'm alone

And the bed where you lie is made up on your side

When you walk away I count the steps that you take

Do you see how much I need you right now?

When you're gone

The pieces of my heart are missing you

When you're gone

The face I came to know is missing too

When you're gone

The words I need to hear to always get me through

The day and make it ok

I miss you

I've never felt this way before

Everything that I do reminds me of you

And the clothes you left, they lie on the floor

And they smell just like you, I love the things that you do

When you walk away I count the steps that you take

Do you see how much I need you right now?

When you're gone

The pieces of my heart are missing you

And when you're gone

The face I came to know is missing too

And when you're gone

The words I need to hear to always get me through

The day and make it ok

I miss you

And when you're gone

All the words I need to hear will always get me through

The day and make it ok

We'll miss you."

Tears ran down Lilith's face as she struggled to get out the last note. She stared at Gally, at Winston, hoping that they would change their minds. "We'll miss you," she choked out.


	11. Part One: Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"This is it," Lilith said softly. She gripped her spear in one hand, and her gun in the other. Gazing at Lorenzo, at Gally, at all of the others that decided to stay. She turned away, unable to bear the ache in her heart.

"I wish you all the best of luck, and that we may one day meet again," Newt said somberly, formally. He shook hands with Gally, and gazed at the Gladers that had been his family for three years. "We won't ever forget you."

Lorenzo hugged Frypan and Lilith, sniffling slightly as he said, "You guys are leaving me all alone to cook for these pigs."

Lilith swallowed, letting a tear fall from her eyes, "You can still come with us. Please, Lorenzo, I promised you I would get you out of here."

Lorenzo smiled at her sadly, "I knew I would never have the courage to go into the Maze, even if freedom lay on the other side. It's not your fault, Lils, and it never will be." He let go of his two fellow Cooks, "Just don't forget me."

Frypan gripped his friend's shoulder, "Never. We'll never forget you."

A few meters over, Gally was talking to Thomas and Teresa. "Even though I never liked you," Gally started gruffly, "be safe. Don't get your stupid shuck asses killed, you hear me?"

Thomas smiled slightly, "Yeah, we hear you."

Teresa clutched Thomas's hand in hers, fighting back tears. Even though she did not spend much time in this place, she still felt the atmosphere of family, and the feeling of loss. "Be safe yourselves," she said softly, to Gally, who just nodded.

Newt patted Zart's shoulder, "Be safe, okay?"

"You too, Newt," the Keeper of the Trackhoes said, trying to blink away the wetness in his eyes. "Don't die."

The blond leader chuckled morosely, "I won't."

Jackson stared at his Keeper, shoulders slumped, "Maybe now we'll be able to finally stop running, Minho." He looked down, as if ashamed, "I'm tired of running."

Minho patted him on the back, understanding. "I know, so am I. There's no need for Runners anymore. The exit's been found, and you can leave whenever you want. Just don't become Griever bait," Minho said, the usual sarcasm and sass gone from his voice.

Jackson grinned, "I would say be safe, but that's just not your thing, so I'll say don't die. Cause the Minho I know would never let anything, including the world, bring him down, right?"

"You betcha," Minho said fiercely. "We're going to get out of here, kick WCKD's ass and make a life for ourselves. Then we'll come back to get you all. So don't any of you dare die on me."

They jogged steadily through the Maze, mentally and physically bracing themselves for any Grievers. "I can't believe only ten people out of thirty three are going to make it out," Lilith said softly to Minho, who grimaced.

"It's not your fault, Lils, okay?" he said firmly. "They made their own choices. And besides, we'll get them out soon enough."

Lilith nodded, glancing at the others with them. Thomas, Teresa, Newt, Brian, Minho, Chuck, Frypan, Minho, herself and a Bagger named Eric. She shoved away the sudden thought that maybe some of them wouldn't even make it out. That they would die trying to find their freedom.

"There's a surprising lack of Grievers," Minho commented as they ran. "Lucky us."

"Minho!" Newt protested. "Don't jinx it!"

The Korean blinked, and cursed as the ground started to shake. "Shit!"

"What's going on?" Thomas demanded, as they stood there, trying to maintain their balance.

Minho's eyes were wide with confusion, "The Maze is shifting."

"But you said-"

"I know what I said! This original pattern should be the one to the exit!" Minho said confidently. "Why is the Maze changing so soon?"

Newt swore, "So basically you're telling us that we're going to have to wait another three days!"

"I-" Minho began, uncertainly.

"No, we're not waiting any longer," Lilith said, determination in her eyes.

Brian whirled around, "Lilith, what are you-" With sudden clarity, he lunged forward, "No, Lilith! Don't!"

Lilith thrust up her hands, her magic surging forward. She imagined the path to the exit, hoping her memory wasn't failing her, and guided her magic to thread around the pathway. Collapsing onto one knee with the strain, she froze the corridors of the Maze that she hoped would lead them to their freedom.

"You just recovered from two nights ago!" Minho rushed forward to catch her fatigued body and take the gun from her holster. "Here," he said, thrusting the gun at Brian, who took it with a nod. "Lilith," he whispered softly, before standing up with her in his arms. Addressing the others, he said firmly, "Let's go. We have no time to waste."

Brian looked as if he was about to protest, but Newt cut him off, "We're dealing with Lilith's life right now. If she holds it too long, it's not going to be good." Newt himself seemed to suddenly lack energy as well, and nearly stumbled as they resumed running.

Minho narrowed his eyes at Newt, mind returning to his suspicions. Shaking his head, he focused on running and not dropping Lilith.

"Come on, dammit! Just a little bit more! Almost there, guys," Thomas yelled, feeling the corridors start to shake as Lilith became paler, and Newt's strides became more lethargic. "Just a bit more."

Breathing in deeply, Minho forced his body to speed up, ignoring the burn in his arms and legs, the added weight of Lilith on his back straining his otherwise exceptional stamina.

The familiar corridors flew by, and he reveled in the fact that this would be the last time he would ever run the Maze.

"Here!" Thomas shouted, triumph and relief clear in his voice. "We're here!"

They entered the exit, slowing down in relief. "Wow," Chuck breathed out, "it's actually real!" The awe on his face broke Thomas's heart.

"It's real, Chuck," Newt said fondly, gently patting the youngest member of their group on the shoulder. "It's real."

Behind them, the previously frozen corridors collapsed as the Maze's uniform shifts were thrown by Lilith's magic. "Crap, doesn't this mean the others can't get out now?" Eric asked, coughing from the dust and rubble.

"Hopefully it'll also screw up the path for future Grievers attempting to get into the Glade too," Brian said, turning his back on the Maze. "So, let's get going!"

Thomas nodded, before glancing at Lilith, "Is Lilith okay?"

"Hmm," a quiet, muffled groan escaped the albino girl. "Mhmm fine…" She turned her head agonizingly slow, looking at Newt, who was paler than usual, "Newt, you okay?"

He glanced at her sharply, "Yeah, fine."

Minho narrowed his eyes once more. Thomas blinked in confusion, looking at Teresa, who just rolled her eyes at him fondly. "Well, uh, we should get going. Lilith, can you walk?"

Lilith nodded, attempting to stand. Minho snorted at her pathetic attempts to stand, and was about to walk over and offer to carry her, when Eric screamed. "MINHO, LOOK OUT! ABOVE YOU!"

Minho looked up in alarm, eyes widening when he saw the Griever that was above him, descending rapidly. It was only a few feet above him, and he knew he wouldn't be able to escape this entirely unscathed.

"Lilith, no! YOU IDIOT!" Teresa shrieked, lunging forward to catch her friend's unconscious body. Newt staggered, falling to his knees as energy was sucked out of him.

The Griever above Minho slowed down its descent, giving Minho enough time to throw himself out of the path of the Griever. It landed on the ground, hissing furiously at the small group.

There was no time to be worried about the idiotic albino girl.

Minho grabbed his fallen spear with no hesitation, leading the others who were fully functional to fight off the Griever. "Come on, we have to run!" Thomas shouted, pulling Newt up by his upper arm.

Brian hauled Lilith onto his back, and started running, "Is that the exit?"

"There's a code we need to open the door," Thomas responded, dragging Newt behind him.

Teresa reached the large door first, and looked back, eyes wide with panic, "What's the code? Minho, what's the code?!"

Minho looked up, dodging the Griever's tail. His brows furrowed, as if trying to remember. "07315246!" he shouted, ducking again as the Griever relentlessly pursued them.

Teresa hastily pushed in the numbers, hands shaking. After what seemed like hours, the stone doors screeched as they were pulled apart. "Come on!" shouted Thomas, as he led the way into the exit. His heart pounded furiously, the hope and exhilaration of being so close to freedom quickening his heartbeat.

"Eric!" Brian screamed, eyes going wide and horrified as he witnessed the Griever skewer his friend with its pincers. "NO!" his pace slowed, and he looked as if he wanted to go back. The Griever flung Eric into the abyss, and turned towards him, pincers clicking with menace.

Frypan latched onto his arm, and pulled him away. "We don't have the luxury to turn back. It's now or never, Brian," he said firmly, eyes tinged with grief.

Brian allowed himself to be pulled into the path to the exit, numb.

"Oh that's disgusting!" Teresa groaned, wincing as the Griever was caught underneath the closing stone doors. It was crushed with a sickening _splat_ , the flesh of the creature oozing out.

Thomas grimaced, but turned to look at the hallway disappeared into darkness. "Hello?" he called out hesitantly, peering into the darkness.

There was no response. Thomas handed Newt to Teresa, and stepped forward.

Suddenly, they were blinded by bright white lights as the hallway lit up. Thomas blinked repeatedly, trying to adjust his eyes to the sudden brightness. "Let's go," he said with finality. "This is it, guys."

Minho set his jaw firmly, "Let's do it."

They cautiously walked down the hallway, checking their backs every few seconds. "It seems like it goes on forever," Brian noted, frowning.

"Let's hope it doesn't," Teresa muttered, looking around warily.

After what seemed like eternity, the hallway finally opened up into a room. "Fucking finally," Minho snarled, patience already worn thin. "This better- what the hell happened here?" he gasped, jerking backwards.

Thomas gasped, eyes wide as saucers. "They- Are they dead?" he breathed incredulously.

"Let's see," Minho said shortly, stepping towards the scene of carnage. He knelt down besides one dead scientist, and felt for a pulse. After a moment, he stood up, staring down, "She's dead. They're all dead."

"What happened?" Brian wondered aloud, as the group dispersed into the room. "Looks like they've been killed recently. Where are the people who killed them?"

Thomas was silent, frowning as he walked around the room. He inspected the machinery, awed at the advanced technology around them. He randomly tapped at the screens, pressing a circular tab in curiosity.

"Hello."

Everyone whirled around, instinctively regrouping together. The screen displayed an elderly woman with long white hair in a white suit. She smiled at them, "I am Dr. Ava Paige, the director of the operations of the World Catastrophe Killzone Department. If you are watching this, then you have successfully completed the Maze Trials. I wish I could have congratulated you in person, but… certain _circumstances_ have prevented that."

Lilith stirred, turning to stare at the lady on the screen. She attempted to stand again, pushing Brian away. The former Keeper rolled his eyes as he caught her when she failed to do so. "Just listen," he whispered, propping her up against him.

Ava paige continued to speak, trying to sound understanding, "I am sure that right now, you are all tired, angry and frightened. But I must assure you that everything that has happened to you, everything we've done to you was done for a reason." She paused, as if allowing the teenagers to absorb her words. "You do not remember, but the Sun has scorched our world." The screen shifted into an image of a sweltering, large, red sun hanging on the horizon of a desolate desert. It shifted again, showing them the horrific tragedies that had befallen the Earth. "Billions of lives lost to fire, famine. There was suffering on a global scale." There was a picture of the burnt and dead bodies of fellow human beings.

Newt's face had an expression of horror. Teresa looked as if she was going to be sick. Lilith just stared, shocked. "The destruction was unimaginable."

The screen went back to Ava Paige's face. In the background were scientists. Minho's eyes widened when he realized those were the same scientists that were now dead.

"But what came after," Ava Paige said sadly, "was worse." Brian frowned. What could have been worse than the end of the world?

"We called it the Flare," she continued. "A deadly virus that attacks the brain." A video of a scientist picking through a brain that was lined with black was shown. "It is violent, unpredictable." Another clip of a man strapped to a table, with black veins running through his body. "There was no cure, or so we thought."

Her tone changed from sad to hopeful, but there was something ruthless underlying the tenderness of hope. "In time, a new generation emerged. A generation of humans that were immune to the virus," the woman said. "Suddenly, there was hope. Hope that the human race could once again roam the surface of this Earth without fear. There was hope for a cure that would solve all our problems." She paused, looking slightly regretful, "But finding it would not be easy. The young would have to be tested, experimented on, put through harsh conditions and pressuring environments that would stimulate the brain. All to see what made them… made _you_ so different."

Frypan inhaled, horrified and astonished. Chuck had moved closer to Thomas, as if deriving comfort from being closer to the older boy.

She leaned back, as if the hard part was over, "You are very important to the survival of the human race. Unfortunately, your trials are not over yet. In fact, they have just begun." In the background, they could see intruders invading the room with guns and other high powered military weapons. "As you will find out, not everyone agrees with our methods, but what we are doing is for the greater good of the human race. Everyday a cure is not found, hundreds of people will die."

And the screen went black.

"That's why I told you we shouldn't leave the Glade," a familiar voice said sadly.

Lilith gasped, "Gally?"

It was indeed Gally. The boy's clothes were tattered, and he was filthy.

And it was clear that he had been Stung.

Thomas started towards him, "Gally, what're you-"

Teresa stopped him, hissing, "Don't. He's been Stung."

"We can't leave," Gally said, face contorted in pain and frustration. In his shaking hands was a gun. "I told you. But you wouldn't listen."

"But we have left," Thomas said pleadingly. "Gally, look, we're out. We're free. We have our freedom."

Gally snorted derisively, scoffing. He spread his arms, gesturing wildly, "You think we're free out _here?_ Free?" Grief filled his expression, "No. We'll never escape this place. The others are already gone. They're _gone_." He levelled the gun at Thomas, arms shaking.

"They're gone?" Lilith breathed out, eyes wide. _Lorenzo, Zart, Jackson… Everyone?_

Thomas brought his arms up defensively, heart constricting in fear. He swallowed, "Gally, hey, listen to me. You're not thinking straight. Look around. The Creators are dead. We're free. We can help you. So put down the gun."

"Gally," Lilith tried, "please, just put down the gun."

He turned to look at her, "Lilith, oh Lilith. You can't stop me now. You're already beyond your limits. You've used too much magic."

Minho curled his fingers around Winston's spear, tugging it gently from the other boy's grip. His dark brown eyes watched Gally sharply, body tense as a bow.

Once the gun went off, Thomas flinched back, Chuck threw himself in front of the boy he saw as his older brother, and Minho flung the spear into Gally's chest.

Gally's cry of pain echoed Chuck's.

Thomas blinked, shocked, before finally registering what had happened. "No, CHUCK!" he screamed, catching the falling child. "No, no, Chuck, you-" He tore at the boy's shirt, trying to get to the wound. "Shit, Chuck, hold on. I got you."

Even though Lilith was never really close to Chuck, she knew how much Thomas treasured the little boy, saw him as a little brother. His heartbroken cries tore at her own heart, reminding her of her weakness and the fact that she wasn't able to do anything.

And then they were rescued. They had finally found the freedom they were seeking so desperately. But as the small group of teenagers huddled in the helicopter, traumatized and grief-stricken, gazing out at the barren landscape, they thought that maybe sometimes, freedom isn't worth fighting for.

 **A/N So this is the end of Part One. Part Two will be attached to this, and it's going to be on the Scorch Trials Movie.**

 **Thanks to all who are keeping with me! I treasure all your support, and your reviews, so thank you all!**

 **So if you have time, please leave a review.**

 **Thanks again for reading! Adios!**


	12. Part Two: Chapter 1

**So here is Part Two! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and welcome to the Scorch Trials! Also leave a review if you please.**

 **Enjoy!**

They were taken to the headquarters of their rescuers, a large and heavily secured building that sprawled across the broken landscape. Inside said building, they met a man named Janson, the director of the people of who rescued them. He smiled at them, "Welcome, welcome. I know it must have been a very trying day for you all, so after your physicals, I will show you to the cafeteria."

"Physical?" Minho asked, quirking an eyebrow, voice clear with unconcealed suspicion.

Janson smiled, "Yes. Just a short check up, to make sure you're all healthy." He glanced at Teresa and Lilith, but didn't address them. "Come, follow me."

In the section of the building that was determined to be the hospital, each Glader was designated a station. Newt was seated at a chair and was approached with syringes and needles. Minho was led to a treadmill, and Thomas to the large bed like mat with a sheet of paper covering it.

The doctor assigned to him smiled at him, "So I'll just be doing an ordinary physical for now, like examining your eyes, your ears, your reflexes, and such. If there's anything that might seem wrong, then we'll do some more tests."

Thomas nodded, feeling more at ease with an explanation.

The woman went to work, flashing her ophthalmoscope in his eyes, an otoscope at his ears. "Everything looks fine," she said with a warm smile after she finished with the physical.

Thomas smiled at her, "Thank you."

"Before you go to the cafeteria, Mr. Janson would like to see you," the woman notified him. "He's right at the end of the hallway over there."

Thomas blinked, suspicions starting to rise again. He nodded, and got up, but right before he was about to leave, Teresa was led in by a dark skinned female doctor. He moved towards her, a greeting on his lips, but the dark skinned doctor pulled the hangings around to hide them from view. He frowned, and his doctor spoke up, "Doctor Eva will just be performing the same check up I did with you, and since Teresa is female, the hangings are there to provide privacy."

Thomas nodded, relaxing at the legitimate reason. He bade his doctor goodbye, and walked down the hallway, entering the room that he assumed was the place that Janson would be meeting him.

"Ah, Thomas," Janson greeted cheerily as he walked in. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. Sorry for the inconvenience, I just wanted to have an opportunity to chat with you in private."

Thomas peered up at him, the raging beast of suspicion and wariness coiling in his chest. "Why me?"

"From what we were able to find in the WCKD headquarters, we concluded that you knew the most about WCKD," Janson admitted. "No, you're not in trouble, Thomas. You are just a child in all of this, and of course we will not hold you to anything," he placated the agitated teen. The man leaned forward, "What do you remember about WCKD?"

"If you infiltrated WCKD's headquarters, wouldn't you have found almost everything about them?" Thomas asked, eyes still narrowed.

Janson sighed. "Thomas, all we want to know is whose side are you on."

Thomas gazed at him steadily for a few moments, before saying softly, but firmly, "I am on the side of my friends."

Janson stared back at him, face unreadable.

"Well, I shouldn't hold you up too long. You're friends are surely waiting," Janson said finally. He stood up, shaking Thomas's hand, "It was a pleasure to talk with you."

Thomas glanced at him cautiously, but nodded politely. "Thank you."

* * *

"Hey, Thomas!" Minho ran over as soon as Thomas entered the cafeteria. Even though his expression was relaxed and open, Thomas could see that Minho held himself with tension.

"Whoa there's a lot of people," Thomas said, eyes wide.

Minho nodded. "Oh yeah, apparently there was more than one Maze." He grimaced. "But ours was the only one that was mostly boys."

Thomas laughed. "I bet Fry was pissed."

"Yeah you should've seen his expression," Minho smirked, but sobered quickly. "Have you seen Lilith?" Minho demanded quietly, walking with Thomas to their table.

Thomas frowned when he caught sight of neither Teresa nor Lilith. "Lilith isn't here either? I haven't seen her. Just Teresa when the doctor finished the physical, but I haven't seen either one of them since." He patted Minho's shoulder. "They're probably just running a few more tests on them or something."

Minho nodded. "Yeah, let's go eat, shank." But his expression was still slightly worried.

* * *

"Lilith," Janson greeted amiably.

Said girl looked at him, slightly unsure on whether or not she could trust him. "Yes? Are the others okay? Why can't I go eat with them?"

The man sat down across from her and leaned forward. "Miss Lilith, I just want to ask you something."

"Did you ask this to the other too?" she asked, eyeing him.

He smiled. "Just to Thomas."

"Why just him?" Lilith inquired, summoning her magic just in case. The rising power inside her provided comfort to her that if anything happened, she could protect herself. _But no. I'm still too weak._

Janson leaned back into the seat, hands folding over his stomach. "Thomas worked for WCKD. You, on the other hand, are very, very valuable to WCKD."

Immediately, she straightened, the air around her warping as her magic flowed restlessly around her as a protective coat. "What do you want?" she demanded, eyes flashing red.

Janson held out his hands in a surrendering gesture. "Hey, hey, I don't mean any harm to you. I just wanted to ask you whose side you're on."

She eyed him suspiciously. "I'm on the side of my friends."

He smiled, a calculating gleam in his eyes. "Well, Miss Lilith, would you like your memories back?"

She blinked. "What?"

"The WCKD files we found on you claimed that with certain steps, your amnesia could be removed," he explained.

She frowned. "What about the others?"

"Their amnesia seems to be permanent," he said apologetically. "It seems that they needed you to remember."

Lilith worried her lip. "If WCKD wants me to remember, wouldn't it be better for me not to remember?" Then she paused, "But I do want my memories back." She debated it inside her head, and then nodded, "Remove the amnesia please." She wanted to remember if there were more people like her, and to be frank, she wanted to remember her life. Whether or not she had parents, and if they were like her.

Janson inclined his head. "We could remove it now if you like."

Lilith nodded. "Let's do it now."

"Good."

* * *

" _GET AWAY FROM HER!" a middle aged man screamed, struggling against the two younger men on either side restraining him. The man's eyes were protruding out, crazed. His body was outlined in bulging veins that were black will the virus. "GET AWAY!"_

" _Sir, you are infected with the Flare. It is mandatory for you to be quarantined," the other man said calmly, hand resting on a five year old Lilith. "It is dangerous for her to be with you."_

" _I TOOK CARE OF HER FOR YEARS! SHE'S FINE RIGHT NOW ISN'T SHE?" he shrieked, spittle flying everywhere. His eyes turned darker, as if he was becoming more and more insane, "YOU JUST WANT HER FOR HER ABILITIES!"_

" _Daddy," Lilith whimpered, terrified._

 _The man's grip tightened on Lilith's shoulder. "Sir, this is for her safety-"_

 _Lilith's father laughed bitterly, the madness receding from his eyes. "You want her for her powers. Of course you do."_

" _Of course they do," a new and unfamiliar voice drawled. "But that doesn't mean they're getting her."_

 _A young man with dark green hair stood in the doorway, eyes glowing red with power. He held out a hand, and the man holding Lilith was flung back. "Hey, kid," the young man said, kneeling down. "I'm Tony. What's your name?"_

" _Hey, freak," one of the men restraining her father snarled, drawing a gun. "We got here first."_

 _Tony tilted his head to the side, eyes still glowing with power. He smiled coldly. "How does that concern me?" Lilith latched onto his pant leg, sensing someone she could trust. "I could take the two of you out with my eyes closed." He gestured with his hand, and the two men fell to the ground, shaking under the pressure of his incredible magic. "I'm taking her with me. What can you do about it?"_

" _You're like me?" a soft, childish voice asked, and Tony looked down to see the little white haired girl tugging on his pant leg._

 _He smiled, the glow fading. "Yeah, I'm just like you." He turned to face Lilith's father. "Don't worry, sir. We'll take good care of her."_

" _Who is we?" Lilith's dying father rasped, clinging onto life with the need to make sure that his baby girl would be okay._

 _Tony gently lifted Lilith into his arms, holding her firmly. "The Magi's Will, sir. We are an organization of mages with all different kinds of magic."_

" _Magic," the man whispered, eyes filled with awe. "Take care of my daughter."_

" _I will, sir."_

* * *

" _Lilith, Mary," an older Tony said solemnly. "There are two main organizations left that are fighting to find a cure."_

 _Lilith, now eleven, blinked adorably. "Isn't that good?"_

 _He looked conflicted. "In theory, yes. But one organization, WCKD, is using methods with very dubious morals. The Right Arm, on the other hand, no pun intended, seems to be more idealistic and more like a vigilante group."_

" _What do you want us to do?" Mary asked, tugging on her flaming red hair that matched her equally red eyes._

 _Tony sighed. "The two of you are some of the most powerful mages I've seen, and our resident job distributer selected the two of you for this job. If you agree, you will be given the job of infiltrating both WCKD and the Right Arm." He looked at the two girls, "But you are not forced to do anything. This a very dangerous mission, especially for the one who goes to WCKD. Do not feel obliged to do anything. There are a lot of older and more experienced mages."_

" _But Josh chose us for a reason," Lilith said thoughtfully. Josh's magical ability was the power to see a person's strengths and therefore determine what job or role that person would fit the best._

" _Wait, why do we need to infiltrate them?" Mary asked, frowning._

 _Tony smiled at that. "Good question. We're infiltrating them because we've been planning on entering the race for the survival of the human race. And we can't have an organization like WCKD standing in our way."_

 _Lilith grinned, excitement arising in her. "I'll do it!" She looked at her fire using friend, "Mary?"_

 _Mary rolled her eyes. "Well, if you're doing, I guess I'll do it too." At Tony's stern look, she added, "And I also want to do it of course."_

" _Don't be reckless," he warned. "Obviously there will be a few more people we're going to send into each organization, but you two will be our main informants. Josh specifically said it would be the easiest for the two of you to rise in the ranks of each organization." Sighing, he looked at the two girls. "Which organization would you want to infiltrate?"_

 _Lilith titled her head to the side. "What did Josh say about this?"_

 _Tony raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think he said anything about this issue?"_

" _Neither of us are dumb, Tony," Mary deadpanned. "Tell us what he said."_

 _The young man shook his head ruefully. "I would rather you two to make a decision on your own, rather than be influenced by Josh."_

 _Lilith shrugged. "I'm fine with WCKD." Mary looked up sharply, about to protest. "Hey, chill, Mary. I've been itching for some action these days." She glanced Tony, a small smirk on her lips. "And Josh said I would fit WCKD more, am I right? The power to stop time… They'd be like bees to honey."_

 _Tony smiled. "You sure did your research on them."_

" _Of course," she said flippantly. "'Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.'"_

" _Quoting Sun Tzu?" Tony said appraisingly. "Yes, you're right. Josh said you would be the best to go to WCKD."_

 _Mary looked chagrined, but also relieved. Lilith slung an arm over her shoulders, hanging onto the girl who had taken the role of an older sister. "Don't look so upset, Mar."_

" _I'm just worried," Mary said truthfully. She patted Lilith's white hair. "Be careful, okay? Don't be reckless. You always seem to be where trouble is."_

* * *

" _What's your name, dearie?" a tall woman with white hair that was wrapped neatly into a bun knelt down beside Lilith._

" _Hi! I'm Lilith!" she chirped brightly._

 _The woman stood up, looking at the man who had brought her in. "You say you found her wandering around near the suburbs?" After the man confirmed what she had said, she nodded her head a few times, humming. "That's definitely possible. And these red eyes… Lilith, dear, have you ever done something other people said that is impossible?"_

 _Lilith blinked up at her. "Um, well, when the zombies overran our hiding place and one of them nearly bit me, I stopped it!"_

" _Stopped it?" the woman mused, looking triumphant. "Good, good. This is absolutely wonderful. Take her to the VIP wing."_

" _Yes, ma'am."_

* * *

" _This is Group A, Lilith. You are assigned to this group," Ava Paige said, setting her hand on the girl's shoulder. "You are their Keeper."_

" _They're all boys, though," Lilith said, blinking._

 _Ava Paige smiled fondly at her. "They are the strongest male subjects. And A7 holds the most promise."_

" _A7…" Lilith leaned forward, looking at the pictures on the screen. Her eyes fell on a Korean boy with jet black hair and intense brown eyes, "That's him?"_

" _Yes," the woman confirmed. A mischievous, yet slightly calculating gleam, entered her eye. "What do you think of him?"_

 _Lilith blushed. "Oh, well, he's good-looking…"_

" _Really?" the older woman laughed, looking slightly triumphant. "The strongest Keeper and the strongest subject."_

 _Lilith turned beet red. "Aunt Ava! That's so embarrassing!" She couldn't hide the small smile on her lips._

* * *

" _Lilith," Ava Paige approached the young girl, a sad expression on her face. "A5 is infected with the Flare. He will be exterminated tomorrow."_

 _Lilith whirled around, eyes wide. "What? You're joking right? Newt's going to be exterminated?"_

" _Yes, I'm very sorry, Lilith," the older woman said sorrowfully. "There's nothing we can do for him-"_

" _I can!" Lilith protested, standing up from her chair. "I can stop the Flare from spreading!"_

 _Ava looked at her, pursing her lips. "Lilith, that would be impossible even for you. And how are you going to constantly keep it frozen? What happens when you're sent into the Maze for Group A? You won't remember anything."_

 _The young girl's eyes were filled with determination, almost glowing with the force of her resolve. "Program it into my brain." Before the Director could voice her dissent, Lilith pushed forward and continued, "As long as I remember to keep the Flare frozen, my magic will obey. A special program written by me will be accepted by my magic, so in the Maze, I'll continue to stop the Flare."_

 _Ava sighed. "I'll allow this for now. But once you get out of the Maze, get rid of the program. We'll find a way to make the Wipe removable for you."_

 _Lilith neglected to inform her mother figure that her endeavour to freeze the Flare in Newt's brain might result in him also gaining magic powers._

* * *

"I will always be loyal to WCKD. They gave me a home, gave me hope for mankind... Why would I betray you guys?"

That's what she told Janson fiercely, pulling her magic to the surface for special effects. Janson seemed to buy into her act, a triumphant smile on his face.

Meditating in the hospital room she was staying in for the time being, she reached into her mind, disabling the program she had installed. Lilith gasped, eyes snapping open and burning a brilliantly bright red as she felt her freed magic power flow into her reserves, filling it up rather than constantly drain it. So that was why she was able to draw energy from Newt, and how he was able to create a mindscape connected to her. _So his power is similar to telepathy._ She smiled. _Interesting._

"What to do now," she wondered aloud. She stared around the room, swinging her legs. "When is Teresa going to wake up?" she asked, addressing no one as she looked at her unconscious female friend.

Three scientists entered the room, greeting Lilith politely. She inclined her head, but did not strike up conversation. The scientists always gave her a slightly uncomfortable feeling.

Suddenly, in the midst of her meditation, the door slammed open, and startled shrieks emerged from the scientists. Lilith opened her eyes, and a small smile crept onto her lips when she saw Brian, Thomas, Newt, Minho, Frypan and Winston storm the room, wielding a gun that they probably stole from a guard. A boy she did not recognize also entered, looking slightly terrified.

The scientists cowered, huddling in the corner of the room, terrified.

"Teresa!" Thomas cried out, rushing over to the black-haired girl's side. "Hey, hey, Teresa?" He shook her gently until she opened her eyes.

"Tom?" she whispered, peering up at him.

He smiled, brushing a thumb over her cheek. "Thank goodness you're alright." He reached over, hoisting her onto his shoulder.

Minho and Brian were already at Lilith's side, fussing over her. She sighed in exasperation, but was happy that they cared so much about her. "Come on, we have to get going," Frypan reminded them.

"What's going on?" she asked, in confusion. She assumed that they found out about WCKD, but she wasn't sure.

"It's WCKD," Minho said, eyes blazing with hatred and determination to get out of there. "I'll explain later, but we have to go now. We don't have time."

Lilith laughed at that. "Oh, don't worry," she said slyly. "We have a _lot_ of time."

Before the others could question her, incessant banging on the door interrupted them. WCKD had found them. The others hastened to the back of room, where there was a glass window barring them from another room.

Lilith watched as the boys turned from her to break the glass, not taking the time to listen to what she was going to say. She shrugged, she'll show them later then.

* * *

"Why isn't this fucking working?" Thomas shouted in frustration and panic. His hands shook as he forced the card through the slot over and over again. "Shit, shit, shit!"

When Janson arrived on the scene, he glanced at Lilith, questioning. She quirked her lips in a sly smirk. He nodded back, almost imperceptibly. Good, he understood.

"Thomas!" the man said, gaining the group's attention.

Thomas looked up, throwing the useless access card down and grabbing the gun. "Open the door!" he shouted, cocking the gun and aiming it threateningly.

Janson laughed slightly. "You don't want me to, Thomas, I'll tell you that."

"Open the fucking door!" he spat, glaring at the man with hatred.

Holding up his hands in mock surrender, Janson said sharply, "Listen to me! This is one thing, but you kids won't last a _day_ out in the Scorch. If nature doesn't get to you, the Cranks will." He smiled amiably. "I only want what's best for you."

Thomas scoffed. "Let me guess. WCKD is good?"

Janson's face darkened, and the fake mask of pleasantry disappeared. Before he could speak however, a beeping sound indicated the opening of the main vault doors.

Thomas turned slightly, glancing at the opening doors that revealed the strange boy and Winston standing the outer shell of the building.

"Thomas! Come on!" Newt yelled, as they scrambled to the other side.

Janson looked absolutely furious, glaring at the open doors. "Thomas! I'm on your side!" he shouted, still trying to convince Thomas.

Thomas glowered, backing away from the WCKD men. He pulled the trigger of the gun, shooting at Janson to try keep them at bay.

"THOMAS! RUN!" Teresa screamed as the doors began to close.

Lilith sighed disparagingly. "Really, guys, I was hoping you'd remember me. Sure, I was pretty useless in the Maze, but didn't you hear what I said before? We have a lot of time." She lifted a hand.

Minho stilled in shock. "What? How? You said only one object at a time."

Not only were the half-closed doors frozen in time, the WCKD agents and Janson were also frozen.

"Even though we have time, this isn't really the place to explain it to you," Lilith remarked. "We should probably get out of here first."

And so they ran.


	13. Part Two: Chapter 2

**Sorry for the late update, everyone! I've just been so busy with SATs and all that stuff, plus a lack of inspiration... Anyway, I pulled through and here is the next chapter. I hope you guys like it!**

In the abandoned ruins of what seemed to be a large mall, the group stopped to take a break. "I think we're safe for now," Brian said, looking out of the window.

Teresa held up a hand as she panted slightly. "We're not going anywhere before you guys explain to us what the hell is going on."

Thomas stared off into the darkness of the abandoned mall. "They lied to us, Teresa. Ava Paige never died, they weren't some vigilantes fighting against WCKD… It was always WCKD. And they wanted to harvest us for this enzyme in our blood that makes us immune to the Flare." He turned around to stare at the rest of the group morosely. "It was always WCKD. We were never free."

"But we are now, aren't we?" Lilith demanded, looking around. "We escaped from them."

Teresa frowned. "But where are we headed to? We can't just wander around the desert for the rest of our lives, hoping WCKD doesn't find us." She gave Thomas a hard look. "Is there a destination in mind?"

Thomas blinked, taking on the look of a deer caught in the headlights. "About that… I overheard Paige talking to Janson about a resistance organization called the Right Arm."

"And do you know where?"

The dark haired boy scratched the back of his neck. "They said it was hidden in the mountains." This seemed to temporarily appease Teresa, who nodded.

"While we're asking questions, I have a question." Minho turned to Lilith. "Lilith, how did you freeze so many objects at once?"

The rest of the group turned to look expectantly at her. The scrawny boy named Aris blinked. "Oh yeah, what was that? Everything just froze, as if time stopped for them."

Lilith nodded. "Yeah, apparently there's another group of people who were affected by the Flare. However, their genes mutated to allow them to manipulate the energy around them in a certain way; basically, we can use what is like magic. I can manipulate spacetime by either speeding up, slowing down or stopping time." She grimaced. "I can't turn back time though." Now addressing Minho's question, she said, "Apparently they had blocked off a portion of my magic when they erased my memories. However, the larger portion that wasn't blocked was being used."

"Used?" Newt repeated, frowning as something started to click in his mind. "Wait-"

Lilith smiled somewhat humourlessly. "Apparently you had the Flare, so I offered to use my magic and freeze it in place until we all got out of the Glade."

"So that's why Newt always became fatigued when you used too much magic energy," Minho deduced. Lilith's nod confirmed his theory. "What about now? Are you still using your magic to block the Flare?"

"No," Lilith admitted. Newt turned to stare at her, wide eyed. A grin spread across her face slowly. "I don't need to."

"Why not?"

She clasped her hands together. "I theorized that some people are enabled to manipulate the energy around them because the Flare had mutated their DNA while in their brain without being harmful."

"Are you saying I have magic now?" Newt spluttered, eyes almost as large as saucers.

Lilith smirked. "Yup, that's exactly what I'm saying. Judging from what happened when we both passed out in the Glade, your powers are centered around the mind. Telepathy that you probably should be able to use with anyone now since my magic's not smothering yours. And maybe, just maybe and hopefully, telekinesis."

Newt blinked, shell shocked. "Do I need to train my powers to use them?"

"You'll probably be able to use it when you want to, but it does take practice to become more familiar with how to wield your power. It's probably easier for you to use your power without training since it's directly linked to your mind and easier to control. My friend, who can manipulate fire, had to train a lot to improve her aim and control," Lilith explained. She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Though your telepathy will probably work best with me since you are more tuned to my magic."

Minho stiffened slightly at that, eyeing Newt.

"That's basically it," Lilith finished. "Should we explore this place a bit? Try to see if there's anything we can take."

"That's a good idea," Winston seconded, peering into the darkness with slight trepidation. "We should probably go in pairs though."

The group ended up splitting into three groups of two and one group of three: Thomas and Minho, Aris and Frypan, Winston and Brian, and Newt, Teresa and Lilith.

"This place is seriously creepy," Teresa muttered, backing away from a mannequin that was burnt and half melted. "And why isn't anyone here?"

Lilith froze in middle of shrugging on a dark blue button down, eyes going wide. "Shit!" she cursed. "How could I have forgotten?" She turned to stare at Teresa and Newt in horror. "This place is probably infested with Cranks!"

Her two companions' eyes went wide. "Fuck," Newt swore. "The others don't know that! What if-"

"As long as the lights don't turn on, we'll be fine," Lilith said, trying to reassure herself. "Cranks are basically brain dead, so if we don't make too much of a racket, we'll be fine." She buttoned up the shirt over a white tank top, and smoothed her hands over her black leggings.

Newt looked around the floor they were on. "That's a lot to hope for, Lilith."

The albino girl rubbed her forehead. "Yeah, I realized…" She glanced down at her outfit, paired with a sturdy set of boots. "This seems a little too warm for the weather outside."

"The dark colors are going to kill you with heat," Teresa agreed. "But lighter colors will probably turn dark anyway."

Newt tossed the two girls windbreakers and jackets. "Just in case some days are cold," he said, shrugging. "And more coverage is probably better, since sunburns probably are not convenient."

"Then hats should be good too, right?" Teresa asked as she snatched a few sun hats.

Lilith nodded, looking around curiously. "I wonder if there are any stores that has some weapons."

"We found everything we need so far, right?" Newt inquired, looking through his stuff. "Food, clothes, water…"

"We should bring some toiletries," Teresa reminded the other two, flushing slightly.

Newt blinked, then turned pink. "Right, that too."

They finished packing all other necessities, and moved on to find weapons. "Here's a sword!" Teresa called out softly as she retrieved a sheathed katana. She stared at it for a moment. "Do any of you guys know how to use it though?"

Newt stared at it for a moment, before gently reaching out to take the sword. "I… think I can," he said with uncertainty. "Even though I don't remember ever learning how to use a sword, it feels like I know how to use it though."

"Makes sense," Lilith said, nodding. "It's like how we know how to function normally despite our amnesia."

Teresa relinquished the sword to Newt. "I guess swords would be more practical than guns since we don't have an unlimited supply of ammunition." She darted back into the store and returned with four more katanas.

"Too many might weigh us down though," Lilith said uneasily. "It's a good idea to bring those around though."

"If they weigh us down, we can just toss them when they do," Newt decided. "If we can find a few guns and bullets, that'd be great."

After a while of searching through the shops, the three met up again. "Nothing on my side," Lilith said, frowning.

"Same," Teresa sighed.

Newt's shoulders seemed to slump. "Let's get to the rendezvous then, and hope that the others happened upon a gun."

They hurried to the mall's garage, carrying their individual backpacks. "Oh, all of you guys are already here?" Newt said in surprise when they saw the large group standing in the open space. "Wait, Thomas and Minho still aren't here?"

"Not yet," Brian answered. "What'd you guys find?"

"We found canned food, clothes, water, toiletries, and weapons," Newt replied, gesturing to the katana that he'd fastened to his side with a belt. "Teresa has four more if any of you guys need it."

"I'll take one," Frypan said, catching the sword Teresa tossed him. He wielded it like he would a saucepan. Brian and Winston, who were near him, moved away nervously.

Lilith laughed, exchanging looks of fond exasperation with Teresa. "What about you guys? Any guns? We didn't happen upon any sadly."

Brian smiled at her with affection. "Here, we found a few, and I knew you'd want one," he said, handing her a pistol.

Her face lit up as if Christmas had come early. "This is great! Thanks!" she said gratefully, smiling at him brightly. She checked the chamber and found it filled with bullets. "Really, this is great."

Brian was about to reply before the mall was lit up with light.

"Shit!" Lilith yelped, eyes wide with horror when she realized that either Thomas or Minho had turned on the mall's lights.

Only a few moments later, Minho and Thomas burst into sight, with a horde of stampeding Cranks. "RUN!" Thomas shouted.

The rest of the group did not need to be told twice.

Lilith looked back, flinching in fear as she realized just how large the horde of Cranks was. Pushing back her fear, she drew her magic to the surface and rows of Cranks began to drop.

"Lilith, what are you doing?" Minho asked, blinking in confusion as the fallen Cranks did not get back up. As expected, he did not seem at all tired or out of breath. Seems like being a Runner really prepared him for this type of lifestyle.

She allowed a bloodthirsty grin to spread on her face. "Even Cranks can't function without a working heart."

His eyes went wide, amazed and slightly terrified of her ruthlessness. "That's handy."

She was sure she had put down at least half of the Cranks pursuing her, and that they were going to be safe. She was so sure, until they rounded a corner and came face to face with another swarm of the diseased.

Minho whirled around to check the Cranks behind them. "Shit, we're trapped."

"Newt, right now is a great time to check out your powers," Lilith said, forcing herself to be calm as her eyes burned bright red. She faced the new horde of Cranks charging them. They started dropping like flies, a dozen at a time, but it was as if there was an endless supply of Cranks coming from nowhere.

"But how? What do I do?" Newt said in response, panic and fear coloring his voice. "How do I control the energy?"

"Remember the time we were in your mindscape! Remember how it felt when my magic was leaving you," she shouted back, over the sounds of Minho, Thomas and Brian's guns as they attempted to hold the other horde of Cranks temporarily. A quick glance back showed Frypan wielding his sword so efficiently Lilith had to wonder what he did in the kitchen of the Glade before she arrived.

"It's not working!" Newt yelled, drawing his sword instead.

Lilith grit her teeth, terrified. What if she didn't have enough magic power to save them all? What if Newt didn't have telekinetic powers? "We'll figure it out later," she promised him. _If we survive this._ But she didn't need to say it for the others to know it.

* * *

They'd survived. Somehow.

But not without casualties.

"Shit, shit, shit! His heart's not beating!" Minho said, voice panicked and disbelieving as he pressed down on the wound on Winston's chest. "Winston, wake up! C'mon, you can't just leave us now!"

Frypan whirled around to face Lilith. "Lilith, isn't there anything you can do?" he pleaded with her, desperately wanting his friend to be alive.

Lilith watched with sad eyes, once more wishing that she could turn back time. "I can't resurrect the dead, Frypan. I can't turn back time," she told them truthfully, watching with a heavy heart as Newt, Minho, Frypan and Brian mourned their dead friend.

Teresa placed a comforting hand on Lilith's shoulder. "Sometimes, there's just nothing you can do, Lilith. You might have magic, but you're still human." The white haired girl just nodded and stayed silent.

Thomas stood off to the side with Aris, expression weary and sad and tired. They were only kids, a lifetime too young to be abandoned out in such a cold world.

"We should get moving," Minho said, eyes cold and emotionless. It seemed that he was the type of person to push away his feelings if they were too overwhelming. "It's too dangerous to stay out here. To the mountains, right? Where the Right Arm should be," he glanced at Thomas for confirmation.

Thomas nodded. "That's right. We need to get out of the city. Who knows what else is here?"


End file.
